Game Over
by Kaze Kimizu
Summary: What happens when Matt gets kidnapped? Will Mello rescue him in time? And what will happen...after?
1. Little Fish

**Author's Note:** Well, I just wanted to write a fanfic different than the ones I normally read. Whyyyy is Mello always the one getting raped and beaten? Not that I mind, of course, but I never get to see Matt as the one who suffers. So I present to you: Kaze's Twisted Matt Rape. Wow, that's a really shitty title, huh? xP Onward!

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Death Note, but GOD I wish I did! If Death Note were mine, Matt and Mello would take over as soon as they are introduced and the Kira plot would completely vanish. It'd go from story to smut in ten seconds flat. )

**Warning: **Violence, rape, language, etc. Probably going to get worse as the chapters go. Don't know how many chapters will be in this story, by the way. This is what happens when I get bored at ungodly hours of the night.

* * *

Mello's heart caught in his throat. "_What? What did he say?"_

"I have your toy. Just thought you should know." Click.

Toy? No way, it can't be. _Matt._

Matt never came home Friday, true, but he often vanished for a few days. It had only been three days, not anywhere near long enough to worry. And yet...the proof was hidden behind the dial tone emanating from the dead line. "I have your toy." No way. _No fucking way._

Mello shook his head and shot into action. Thanking God in Heaven for paying attention to Matt's rants on hacking, Mello flipped the laptop's monitor up and plugged in his cell phone. Running two or three complex programs, he traced the call to a private phone line in the heart of Los Angeles.

_Los Angeles?_ Mello's eyes bugged. No way, it couldn't be. That was on the other side of the country. Mello expected to trace the call back to the Bronx, not fucking California. _No fucking way._ He needed to make some phone calls. And fast.

Three hours later, Mello and two of his goons from the mob were taking off from the private airstrip of a wealthy black market dealer. "Fuck, I'm coming for you, Matty," Mello whispered under his breath as the New York skyline became a faint speck in the distance...

* * *

CRACK! "Ahh, fucking hell..." Matt gritted his teeth as something thin and wooden was broken over his back, causing his skin to split and bleed. He struggled against the ropes that bound his wrists together above his head. He was completely naked, save for a blindfold and the goggles around his neck. Sick bastards thought he looked good in them.

Hands grabbed at his skin, squeezing places that nobody should touch. He swore again, louder this time, and received a slap across the face. The blindfold covering his eyes was pushed up slightly as some scruffy man's lips locked onto his own. Through his gags, Matt could make out the faint lines of a concrete wall. The lights were dim, making it incredibly hard to see anything else. As the man, who smelled of sex and weed, pulled away, the blindfold slipped back over his eyes. Matt spat in the general direction of the wall.

"Looks like we reeled in a fun fish this time, boys," a slurred voice said hoarsely. "Hey little Fish, how do you like it? A room full of anxious men, and no way to escape. Kind of sexy, ain't it?" The man hiccupped drunkenly, choking on his own spit for a moment. The whole room smelled like booze, weed, and filth.

Matt felt a deep growl rising in his throat. An eager hand rubbed at his lower back, daring to dip lower for a handful of ass. Matt pulled against the ropes holding his wrists again, testing the strength of his bindings. Without warning, he pushed off from the ground, spinning in a wide loop and kicking his feet at anything he could reach, as the ropes dug into his skin. He made contact with several bodies and at least one jaw before he was grabbed and pinned against a wall. Strong hands held his shoulders still as the leader, he presumed, drunkenly fumbled with something in the background.

"Well, well! One feisty little Fish, aren't you? Aren't you? But hey, if you like things rough, we'll be more than willing to respect that," the man laughed, cracking what sounded like a whip in the air. Matt held his breath as the buckle end of a belt crashed into his shoulder with sickening strength. Had he been able to see, he would have been blinded by pain.

The beating continued mercilessly. Lash after lash danced across his back; open wounds wept blood that mixed with sweat. Matt would have screamed had he been able to breathe. He would have cussed had he been able to think. And after an eternity of pain, he would have collapsed had he not been bound by his wrists. His legs gave out anyways and he dangled from the rope like some twisted child's battered rag doll. The men around him laughed, rubbing their hands on his bloody back. He jerked violently at the touch, squeezing his eyes shut.

_"This is just like the games,"_ he thought to himself_, "Just like when one of your party members gets kidnapped and you have to go rescue them. Right when the villain is about to throw them into the volcano, the hero shows up and defeats the bad guys, and the game is saved. Any minute now, I'll be rescued and we can battle these guys, and we can go home."_ Matt's body tensed as he heard the sound of a zipper behind him.

_"Any minute now, I'm going to be rescued. Just like the games. Just like the games..."_ His mind raced violently as he felt someone positioned behind him.

_"Just like the games...this isn't going to happen..."_ He screamed as he felt the intruder penetrate him, pushing into forbidden territory. Laughs rang out as Matt's mind reeled. He tried to struggle, but found that movement hurt him in too many ways.

_"Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. This isn't happening, this isn't happening..."_ Matt cried out as he felt something tear inside him. The man thrust harder and harder, finally releasing his thick liquid inside Matt like a dog marking his territory. To add insult to injury, the man dragged his fingernails roughly down Matt's bleeding back, making him cry out again.

"Mel...!" Matt gasped. "Mel...hel...p..."

"Well, Fish, I suppose I was right. You're no virgin." Thick, heavy laughter fell onto Matt's deaf ears as the gamer drifted out of consciousness.

* * *

Mello wasted no time in locating the mysterious building. It was inconspicuous enough; just a simple half-building snuggled in between two large, expensive towers. Without waiting for his men to catch up, he cocked his gun and kicked the door down. The building seemed abandoned at first glance. A thick layer of dirt covered most everything, including the floors. He paused, taking tentative steps toward the middle of the room. He was just about to turn around when he heard it. _Laughter._

Without a second thought, Mello sprinted to the back of the building until he found a flight of stairs. A heavy iron door separated him from the 'party' downstairs. Frowning, he simply shot the doorknob off.

A gunshot rang through the air, startling the men downstairs. Matt's body was covered in bites, bruises, and open wounds, though he'd been unconscious for most of his injuries. A blessing for now.

"God damn it," the leader swore, reaching for his gun. Several of the other men reached for their clothing, looking for hidden knives and guns. "God damn it, Fish," the man spat, "Looks like your boyfriend's here."


	2. Saving! Don't Turn Off The Power!

**Author's Note:** Hey Everyone! Chapter Two is up. Amazing, isn't it? Don't expect all chapters to come out so quickly. I'm still in school, so I don't have much time to work on my fanfics. I can promise, though, that this story is going to continue for quite a while. Don't give up hope yet! Poor Matty has quite a bit of assrape in his future. Yes, indeed. I dream of plot twists. As for this chapter; read and enjoy! xD Mello to the rescue! Comments are loooved! x) Thanks to those who left me comments on the previous chapter! It's your words that inspired me to write Chapter Two so soon. Thanks again, and happy reading! Onward!

**Disclaimer:** I do NOT own Death Note, nor any of the characters. Well, I made up Jay and Kalvin. But they don't matter much. Of course...I could probably pull up some hidden love affair between the two...but that might be pushing it, don't you think? ;P If Death Note belonged to me, there would be a whole lot less plot and a whole lot more Mello banging Matt and vice-versa.

**Warning:** Violence, Rape, Foul Language, and oh-so-much more. Will only get worse from here. You have been warned.

* * *

Matt's eyes fluttered open behind the blindfold.

"Mel...?" He moaned, tugging at his wrist bindings once again. Another shot rang out above them, confirming Matt's suspicions. "MEL!" He shouted hoarsely, his parched throat causing him to cough violently.

"I suppose I was right again, Fish," the leader spat, "seems like it _is_ your boyfriend up there. Maybe we can invite him down, give him a drink and a smoke. Then he can sit back and watch while we gang-bang his precious toy. But hey, I've never been a gentleman. I don't think I can wait for him to join us."

"Y-you...filthy pig..." Matt hissed through gritted teeth.

"You should watch your manners, little Fish," the man laughed. "You might get burned if you play in the fire."

Matt cringed as a heavy boot made contact with the center of his lower back, pushing him off his feet. He dangled from the ropes like a dead man. A shot rang out suddenly, slicing through the top of the rope, and Matt found himself face-planting into the dirty wooden floor of the room. He managed to shift himself onto his knees, but a swift kick to the ribs sent him flying against the wall. His skull cracked against the smooth concrete, disorienting him enough for his defenses to drop. Though the rope was no longer attached to the ceiling, it still held his wrists together painfully. His blindfold made it impossible to sense where the kicks were coming from. He cried out once, only to be silenced by a boot to the jaw. He tasted blood as two warning shots rang out from Mello above.

"Me...Mel..." He gasped, spitting blood. A kick to the groin caused him to double over, howling. He drew his knees to his chest in defense. Two more warning shots rang out from up the stairs.

"You fuckers better not hurt my M," a deep, growling voice called out. "Just let him go. If you don't, I'll make it so that death is a blessing for you. M, can you hear me?"

* * *

Mello strained his ears to hear the feeble "Yes" that echoed up the stairwell. Matt sounded awful. He was in pain. Mello gripped his gun tightly, gritting his teeth. He wanted nothing more than to run down the stairs, shooting blindly until every single fucker was dead. Logic, however, kept a firm hold on his rage.

_"If I just go in shooting,"_ Mello thought, _"I'll be gunned down in no time. Then nobody can save Matty...fuck, Matty...what have they __**done**__ to you?"_

A loud cry resonated downstairs, making Mello's blood boil. He shot twice again, trying to intimidate his enemy. In response, he heard the sickening sound of a belt hitting flesh along with more swearing and cries from Matt.

"No fucking way," Mello swore under his breath. "They're using him to elicit a reaction from me. They want me to charge in like a bull so that I'll be easy prey. Matt...hold on for me."

Mello took two steps back, nearly running into the two goons he'd brought with him from New York City. He'd nearly forgotten about them. They stared at him, wide-eyed, waiting for orders. Mello motioned for them to draw their weapons. He leaned in to whisper a command, cringing as he heard Matt's pitiful moan float up the stairway.

"I need some chemicals. There's too many of them for us. Jay, Kalvin, can you give me a hand? It can't be fatal. Just...is there anything that can disable them for a while?" Mello's eyes darted between the two men.

"Shit, boss, I didn't know this was gonna' be so damn serious," Kalvin swore. "I didn't bring shit."

"Best I got's heavy smoke. Irritates the eyes like pepper spray. Temporary blindness. But boss, if we throw it down there, we won't be able to get in until it clears. 'Else we get hit with it, too. And when it fuckin' clears, those guys will be right as rain and pissed as hell," Jay shrugged. "We're fucked. Is the hostage really worth it? He's just a hired hacker, right?"

Mello closed his eyes and counted to ten, white-knuckling his gun to keep from breaking his comrade's jaw. A moan rang up from downstairs. Mello's eyes flew open, wide as saucers. _"That wasn't Matt's moan. I'd know his moan better than anyone else. That means..."_

"Fuck yes, he's really worth it. He's the best goddamn hacker in the country, and I fucking want him back. If you want to fucking keep your life, you'll do whatever the fuck I say before you're praying for death. Am I clear?" Mello glared darkly, making the two men before him shift uncomfortably.

"Crystal, boss. I'll ready the bomb." Jay slunk off into the streets with his tail between his legs. Kalvin shifted uncomfortably again under Mello's piercing gaze.

"Boss, I'd lay my life down at your orders."

"Good. It might come to that. Now, shut up and wait." Mello swore and bit down on his hand in frustration. The sharp pain cleared his mind like a good chocolate bar. Within minutes, Jay returned with a crude smoke bomb and a Bic lighter.

"Once we light this sucker, we got about six minutes before the smoke clears. We just gonna' rescue the hostage? Or...?" Jay's eyes dropped to the gun in Mello's hand.

"We're killing every last motherfucker in the building, except for the hostage," Mello confirmed. "I'll shoot who I can before I get to M. Once I get him, I'll signal you. You kill every motherfucker and meet me in the car. Clear?"

"Crystal," Kalvin nodded.

"Got it, boss," Jay smirked. "Let's get this show on the road."

* * *

Matt struggled mightily against the force overtaking him from behind. He would have screamed, but someone shoved a gag rag into his mouth. He could barely breathe, let alone yell. Hands pushed him over a rough wooden table, bruising his hipbones as the edge bit cruelly into his bared skin. Hands held his trapped wrists in front of him, forcing him on tiptoes. More hands spread his legs apart, exposing him to the overpowering force thrusting into him, making him bleed. The large man behind him moaned loudly, gripping Matt's hips with dirty fingers, bruising Matt's milky skin.

"Nnngh, hmmffh..." Matt squeezed his eyes shut as he tried to call for help. The gag was impossible to spit out. He couldn't even scream properly. _"Mello,"_ he thought as a shock of pain wracked his sore body, _"Hurry, please. I don't want to play this game anymore. What's taking so long, Mello? It hurts..."_

"Fish," the man panted, "that boyfriend of yours sure is a pussy. He hasn't even shown his ugly maw down here. What? He doesn't care about you? Or maybe he's just polite and wants to wait until I'm finished." The man thrust forward again, making Matt's eyes fly open and roll back into his head behind the blindfold. "Either way, I'd say this party is a success," the man taunted as he came inside of Matt's body. "Who's fuckin' next?"

The man was just zipping up his fly when a loud **"POP!"** resonated from the stairwell. Thick white smoke filled the room, causing the assembly to choke and gag, rubbing their eyes furiously. Many dropped to their knees and covered their heads, trying to hide from the suffocating smoke.

* * *

Mello, Jay, and Kalvin leapt into action as soon as the bomb exploded. Jay squinted, pushing the pain out of his mind, and fired his gun into the nearest head. Blood and brain matter splattered on the ground. Kalvin followed suit, shooting a screaming man in the kneecap and stomach. Mello pushed past most of the crawling, screaming men, groping along the wall until his hip dug into a wooden tabletop. Fighting tears of pain, he opened his eyes wider, catching a glimpse of bright red hair. _Matt._

Mello put his hand over Matt's mouth, pulling the boy upright. He shot whatever hands reached out to stop him. Realizing that Matt couldn't stand, he hoisted the semi-unconscious boy onto his back and fumbled towards the door. Somehow, one of the thugs whipped out a gun and shot blindly as smoke choked him. A bullet whizzed by Mello's ear, filling him with newfound strength. As soon as his foot hit the bottom stair, he called out to his comrades, signaling them to bathe the walls in blood and haul ass.

"GO!" Mello growled, coughing as painful smoke coated his throat and lungs in irritation. Rapid gunfire sounded from behind the duo as Mello's partners shot at random, killing everything and everyone that breathed. Blurry-eyed, Mello hauled Matt up the steep flight of stairs, through the dusty building, and into the car's back seat. Wordlessly, he crawled to the driver's seat and cranked the engine before returning to assess Matt's injuries.

"God damn it, Matty..." he whispered gently, voice full of pain. Matt was a truly pathetic sight. Mello lowered himself to the floorboard to give Matt room to stretch out on the cramped back seat. He pushed his hand under the passenger seat, producing a pocketknife without ever taking his eyes off his battered hacker. Gently, he took Matt's raw wrists in his hand, cutting the ropes away from the abused flesh. Matt whimpered, jerking violently away. Mello frowned, pulling the gag out of Matt's dry mouth.

"Don't..." the redhead coughed. Mello carefully traced the gamer's bruised jaw line with his fingers. "M-mel...lo?"

"Yeah, Matty," Mello's voice cracked as he held back tears. Whether they were tears of relief, or aftereffects from the smoke, he would never know. "It's me." Mello cautiously cut the blindfold away from Matt's swollen eyes. "It's me, Matty. I...I'm..."

"Don't...worry." Matt's eyes fluttered shut. "S-save...the game?"

Before Mello could ask what Matt meant, Jay flung open the driver's seat door, swearing in multiple languages. He revved the engine and pounded the gas, leaving the building behind in a shower of dirt and gravel.

"Fuck. Boss, bad news. Some asshole shot Kalvin. He's dead." Jay hissed and spit out the window. "Worse news; the asshole escaped."


	3. Reassurance

**Author's Note:** Just warning you all, majority of this story was written after three o'clock in the morning. Don't blame me if it sounds weird. xP Thanks for all the awesome comments! You have no idea how much I love reading those. It gives me a major ego boost to see the "You have a new comment!" message in my inbox. You guys rock. I swear, the next chapter will be much more interesting. I was actually going to get to the deep, sweet part in this chapter...but it's five in the morning. That being said, enjoy Chapter 3!

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Death Note or any of its awesome characters. If I owned Death Note, things would be a hell of a lot more interesting. xD If I owned Death Note, the plot would vanish and the smut would shine. Matt and Mello forever!

**Warning:** Contains lots of bad stuff that kiddies shouldn't read. Language, crude humor, sex, violence, etc. You get the picture.

* * *

"Shit," Mello cursed, praying that Matt had fallen asleep or unconscious. No such luck.

"Someone…isn't…dead?" Matt began to whine, pushing backwards into the seat cushion with his full strength. "Kill…don't…Mel, don't let them kill me…"

"Shh, M, don't worry. Nobody will hurt you," Mello turned to Jay, who was driving at an alarming speed. "Jay, get M and me to a safe base. I want you to find a connection for us. We'll need to get a base outside of New York for a while. Don't ask questions. Tell the L.A. group to either provide me with a safe base in…Las Vegas, if possible, or become estranged from the New York branch of the organization. Can you do that?"

"I got it, Boss," the jumpy man answered. "Boss, I can get you to one 'a them hole-in-a-wall motel joints where you'll be pretty damn safe. I'll make the contact with the base here and send a doc your way. Will that be a-okay?"

"Fine," Mello hissed through gritted teeth. "Just don't let us be seen."

Mello looked down at Matt, who was curled into the fetal position against the seat, shivering. Finally realizing that Matt was completely naked, Mello frantically wiggled out of his jacket and threw it over the poor boy's body.

"Nghh…uh…" Matt shied away from Mello's gentle touch, trying to wiggle out from under the heavy coat. "Noooo…"

"M, it's cold. You're naked. You're lying in the back seat of a car. Keep the damn jacket on." Mello tried to keep his voice neutral, but with Matt in such bad shape, it was difficult. He sighed with relief as the redhead settled down, accepting the coat's presence as unavoidable.

"Jay, when the fuck are we going to be there?" Mello barked at the driver, who nearly crashed into a light pole.

"We're almost there, Boss. I'm hurrying. I'll pull the car to the back; I'll handle all the money shit. Just lay low until I get back."

"Right," Mello growled. "Just fucking get it done."

"Me…ll?" Matt's eyes flooded with tears as he glanced at the blonde hovering over him.

"Yeah, M?" Mello turned away from the rearview mirror to smile warmly at the trembling gamer.

"What's…I mean, how…you saved me?" Matt squinted his eyes, still disoriented.

"Yeah, Mat…M," Mello said, catching himself, "Jay, Kalvin, and I came to save you. You're safe. Are you hurting?"

"Mel," Matt gasped, frantically. His eyes bulged, then lowered in shame as a fierce blush painted his cheeks. "Mel, I was…I was…"

"I know," Mello whispered, "You were kidnapped."

"No!" Matt whimpered, tugging at Mello's hand. "I was, but that's not…I mean…I was…"

"You were?" Mello coaxed.

"R-raped." Matt buried his face in the stained seat cushion, the word barely leaving his lips at all.

A tightness gripped at Mello's chest. _"So, it was true,"_ he thought._ "Christ…I was hoping that…I was really hoping that it hadn't come to that."_ Mello could barely contain his rage. Luckily, Jay had just whipped the car behind a sleazy hotel.

"I'll be back soon, Boss," Jay called. "You an' the hacker should be plenty safe here. I won't take long."

Mello wanted to say something, to talk to Matt, but he couldn't bring himself to do it. The two waited in silence for Jay to arrive with their room key. Mello stroked Matt's hair gently, not wanting to touch the boy's bloody, bruised skin in fear of causing more pain.

As soon as Jay returned with the room key, Mello picked Matt up and carried him up the three flights of rickety stairs to the grimy room they had rented for the night. Stepping inside, it took Mello all the willpower he had not to vomit. This place was a dump. The wallpaper looked like it hadn't been changed since the 60's, ripped and torn with crude patches over the worse parts. It had once been white, Mello assumed, but years of filth and cigarette smoke had turned it a dingy brown. Darker blotches muddled the walls near the bed. Mello had no desire to find out what had caused those. Pulling his jacket off of Matt's shoulders, he spread it out on the bed so that Matt's fragile body would not have to touch the stained, filthy bed sheets.

A knock on the door signaled Jay's return. Mello checked the peephole before unlatching the four locks on the hotel door. Jay scurried inside, lugging a large suitcase that jingled with every step.

"What the fuck is that?" Mello asked, pointing to the black canvas suitcase.

"Weapons, clothes, and a roll of bandages. Compliments of the Dollar Store across the street. Well, the weapons are ours," he winked, "but everything else I got at the store."

"Good. Get a link with the base and call my cell phone. We won't be leaving tonight. Return when you get the chance, and bring a doctor with you. M's hurt, and I don't want my hacker dying after I spent so much time getting to him."

"Understood, Boss," Jay said, giving Mello a quick bow. "I'll be goin'. See you in a while."

"Get lost," Mello said. He shoved his bangs out of his eyes and stared at the wall for a moment.

"…Boss, I bought something else at the Dollar Store. It's in the suitcase. You might need it."

"…Get lost. You've been useful to me."

"…Thank you, Boss." Jay left, tapping the door once to signal that everything outside was clear. He knew that Mello had just thanked him for a job well done. That's as close as they ever got to a proper congratulation in the mafia.

Mello latched the door securely, double-checking the locks on the windows as well. He tossed the suitcase on the wobbly table, flicking the zipper to reveal the contents. The first thing that Mello noticed was the bar of Hershey's chocolate sitting on top of everything. _"That sly bastard…"_ Mello sighed, smiling as he peeled back the wrapping. _"Dark Chocolate. Mouthgasm."_

The guns were already loaded and ready, the knives all sharpened. A package of cheap, off-brand bandages were tucked neatly in a side pocket with one-dollar tubes of anti-bacterial anti-pain medication in a neat row beside them. The clothes were tacky and ugly, but Mello supposed they were more for Matt than himself. His boys knew NEVER to buy Mello anything tacky. No matter what the situation was.

_Matt._

"Hey Matty," Mello cooed at the sleeping form of his troubled lover, "I'm so glad to have you back. I'm so sorry I didn't come for you any sooner. Matty, what have they done…?"

Mello slumped to the floor, leaning his head back on the wall behind him. He watched Matt's sleeping face contort into some unknown terror, as if he were reliving something horrific. Mello felt his heart squeeze in his chest. Without warning, a sob escaped his lips. He closed his eyes to keep from crying. _"Matty…"_ he thought, _"My beautiful Matty…"_

"Mello…Mell…o…Mel…" Matt's frantic whispers caught Mello's attention, pulling him out of his own self-imposed torment. Mello crawled to the edge of the bed where Matt slept, still naked, and watched as the gamer thrashed about in his sleep.

Matt kept his knees drawn to his chest, pulling his wrists above his head as though they were tied with something. He thrashed about as though he were being kicked. He whimpered as though something was physically hurting him. It broke Mello's cold heart.

"Hey, Matt," he called, not daring to yell or touch the frightened gamer. "Matt! Wake up."

"Nngh…nehf…Mel…" Matt threw his head back, crying out as his imaginary beating continued.

"Matt! Wake up, damn it!" Mello reached out cautiously and shook the hacker's shoulder. "Come on, Matty. You're scaring me."

"No! Ngh…Mello! Mello!" whined Matt, grasping Mello's arm like a vice.

"Matt," Mello hissed, trying to pry the redhead's fingers away from his bruising flesh. "Matt, wake up!"

"Mrrf….ahhhh….Mel…s-save…Mel…" Matt's panic tripled as he gripped Mello harder.

"Damn it, Matt!" Mello yelled, slapping the hacker's arm with a bit too much strength. Matt's eyes flew open as he scrambled backwards, falling off the bed in the process. He continued to back up, away from Mello, until his back hit the wall. He lunged away from the wall, opting for a safe spot under the wobbly table.

"M-M-Mello? W-what?" Matt blinked a few times, squinting to make out Mello's silhouette in the dim light.

"You were having a nightmare," Mello said soothingly, although he was gritting his teeth in frustration. "You wouldn't wake up. You were calling my name."

"Oh," Matt said plainly. He relaxed slightly, but remained under the table. "Was I? Did I…do anything else?"

"No, nothing else. Except for pretending that your wrists were bound. And thrashing around like you were dying. What were you dreaming of, Matty?" Mello sat down on the stained bed sheets, motioning for Matt to join him.

"N-no…" Matt whispered. "I'd…I feel safe under here. Can…can I stay here for a little while? Until I feel better." Matt eyed the blonde nervously.

"All right," Mello agreed begrudgingly, "but can you come out for just a second? Jay brought some clothes for you. Although, I should probably wait until the doctor gets here."

"D-doctor?" Matt's eyes widened. "No! I don't want a Doctor, Mello, please! No way, no doctor. Oh God, Mello, for God's sake. Please don't let the doctor come." Matt clutched at the table's leg as though he were a drowning man with a life preserver.

"Matt, the doctor has to patch you up and make sure that nothing is broken. He won't hurt you." Mello patiently explained, crossing the room to crouch next to the wobbly table. "He'll be gone before you know it. It's just going to be you and me once he leaves. I'll protect you. Nothing bad is going to happen. I promise."

"You…promise?" Matt's knuckle found its way into the hacker's mouth.

"I promise. Look, I've got enough weapons to take on the U. S. Army. If he does anything to you, I'll shoot him."

"I, uh, I…I mean…I trust you, Mel."

"Good," Mello said, "Because I just heard a knock on the door. It sounds like the doctor is here."


	4. Awkward Situations

**Author's Note:** Wahoo! I know you've all been waiting patiently for another chapter, so here you go! Sorry it's so short, but I'm short on time. We're moving to a new location this week, leaving me absolutely no time to update. Still, I found time to give you some nice Matt-discomfort. I was planning to make this chapter a very sentimental one, but I suppose that'll come in Chapter Five. The Doctor thing took up all of this chapter. Look forward to the next chapter - it'll be sugar-sweet, hopefully. Onward!

**Disclaimer:** I only WISH that Death Note belonged to me. Sadly, it doesn't. If Death Note belonged to me, it would be censored or banned in nearly every country for the amount of smut and fluff in it. xP And Matt and Mello would live happily ever after.

**Warning:** Language, Rape, Abuse, Violence, Etc. Get the picture by now? Of course, this chapter is pretty tame. Compared to everything else. xP

* * *

"M, you have to listen to the Doc. Don't make me angry," Mello said through gritted teeth as the hacker cowered halfway under the cheap hotel bed.

"But, but...Doctor...he'll..." Matt frantically clawed at the carpet, struggling to squeeze further into the impossibly tiny space.

"Boss, can you just pin him so I can dress his wounds?" Doc sighed, patiently tapping his fingers on the dresser.

"He's been traumatized," Mello snapped, "Let me handle him." Mello carefully knelt beside Matt's shaking form and rested one hand on the gamer's back. "M, come on out," he ordered softly. "If you stop struggling, it will be done sooner. Then it will just be you and I again..."

"But, a Doctor! Doctor, Mel!" 

"Yes, a Doctor. Doc is the only one who can help patch you up so that you can recover. Stop being a pussy and come out from under the bed." Mello tugged gently at Matt's shoulder. "Don't you trust me?"

Matt stopped struggling. His body went limp, as though all his energy was spent. "I trust you. But only you."

"Fair enough. I'll be with you the entire time." Mello half-dragged the petrified boy onto the bedspread, taking a firm grip on his wrist. He nodded to the Doctor to proceed with the examination.

"All right," Doc muttered, "Finally. M, Boss, I'm going to begin by cleaning the flesh wounds first. I'll wrap and bandage them to the best of my abilities. But guys, I hate to say this, but I'll need to inspect M's internals to see if any damage was done. Should I administer a sedative? Is he gonna freak again?"

"By 'inspecting his internals,'" Mello cringed, "Do you mean...?"

"'Fraid so. My glove, his ass. If there hadn't been sodomy and rape involved, it wouldn't be necessary. But I don't have the equipment to inspect his internal wounds any other way. Should I put him to sleep before we begin with that?" Doc eyed the sheet-white hacker.

"No," Mello demanded, "No drugs that aren't absolutely necessary. I'll keep him calm enough. Please continue. M, I'm going to keep a hold of your left wrist. You grab my arm with your other hand. Don't think about letting go unless I say so."

"Ah-h-h-uh," Matt's voice quivered, "O-o-ka-y..." 

_"He's absolutely petrified,"_ Mello thought. _"My poor Matty..."_

Matt gently took Mello's white wrist in his palm, surprised at the warmth. And the softness of the blonde's skin. Groaning at the pain, Matt sat up and squeezed his eyes shut. The Doctor began cleaning the wounds dotting Matt's abused skin, eliciting many stifled cries and whimpers from the pained boy. Mello remained steady, grasping Matt's wrist tightly. The bandaging was worse, causing Matt to claw at Mello'sarm in protest. 

"All right, I'll need him to lie down on his stomach now. Last thing we need to do," Doc sighed, watching the hired hacker's eyes bulge in fear.

"M," Mello whispered gently into the trembling young man's ear, "I won't let go. It won't last long."

"Noooo…" Matt whined, flipping over and burying his face in Mello's lap. He resembled a small child hiding from Daddy in Mommy's lap. 

"Please proceed, Doc," Mello commanded, squeezing Matt's wrist for reassurance.

"Won't be long. I just need to glove, lube, in, and out. That's all." Doc snapped a fresh, crisp glove on his hand, applying a generous amount of lubricant. "Sometimes I wonder how I got this job," he joked, ramming a finger into Matt's most sensitive area. 

"NGHF!" Matt cried, gripping Mello's wrist until it bruised. "M…Mell…"

"Shh, M," Mello whispered, "Almost done. Trust me."

"All done," Doc snorted, wrapping the glove in tissue and tossing it in the trashcan. "There's a small tear inside, but other than that…all's clear. Nothing life-threatening. In fact, I didn't even have blood residue on the gloves. You're a quick healer, M. Either that, or you're used to..." 

"Thank you, Doc," Mello growled, cutting the Doctor off in mid-sentence, "That will be all. Return to the base. Tell the boys that I will rejoin the team in a few days. After I deliver M to his location, I have a side job to do."

"Right, Boss," Doc nodded. "I'll leave some pain pills on the table. Make sure he doesn't take more than three in a day."

"I'll take care of him," Mello responded, rubbing circles on the back of Matt's wrist with his thumb. 

_"I'll take care of him."_


	5. Only You

**Author's Note: **So sorry for the lack of updates - just got done moving to a new house. Well, we technically moved in three days. The other four weeks or so were spent getting electricity, plumbing, gas, and other necessities. My wireless internet was finally hooked up...approximately four hours ago. Luckily, all the time I spent without internet translated into multiple oneshots and chapter updates. Lucky you. Feel free to check out the other stories I'll update throughout the weekend. Sorry again for the long wait, and thank you for all the reviews and such that you've all left me. I feel so loved. xP Onward!

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Death Note. If I owned Death Note, Mello and Matt would screw each other for 29 minutes of each Death Note episode. The final minute would somehow involve Clucky. If you understand the reference, you rule.

**Warning:** Contains violence, rape, abuse, etc. You should get the picture by now.

* * *

"M-mello?" Matt whimpered, reaching for the blonde. Mello turned away from the hotel door, closing the gap between himself and his hacker. His gamer. His lover.

"Yeah, Matty?"

"T-thanks for saving me," Matt whispered, pulling Mello down to the bed beside him. "I…I didn't think that you'd be able to…you know. I mean, they had me for…a while."

"How long?" Mello asked gently, guiding Matt's head to a clean pillow.

"Since they got me," Matt said dejectedly. "I didn't know I was being followed until they knocked me out. When I woke up, I was in that room. But the people were different."

"How do you know, Matty?" Mello cautiously took his gamer's hands in his own, pulling the boy closer. Matt resisted briefly, but soon found comfort in the strong arms of his lover. He nestled close to Mello's heart, gripping at the boy's shirt. Mello wrapped one arm behind Matt's head, playing idly with the younger boy's hair.

"T-the first ones," he stuttered, "T-they were the w-worst. T-they didn't blindfold me. They…scared me. They had worse hands."

"Worse hands?" Mello urged Matt to continue.

"Pulled. And hit. And touched. Worse hands." Matt spoke in half-phrases, a jumble of thoughts and images that words can't describe coherently. "And the…Doctor. He was the first one that r-r-r-raped me. He…hurt. A lot. Played with me. Like some toy," Matt's eyes glazed over as he drifted back to memories best left unremembered. "He 'Played Doctor', I guess. Tools. Drugs. Barely remember others…faces, laughing. Throat hurt. Wanted you. Wished it was you, not them. I love you, Mello…" Tears began to fall down Matt's cheeks onto Mello's vest.

"Christ…" Mello hissed, pulling Matt closer and planting a gentle kiss on the young boy's forehead. "I love you more, Matty. I want them all to die for what they've done. You're my Matty. You know that?"

"I'm yours," Matt repeated, burying his face in Mello's vest. "Second people came. Tied my arms and legs. Beating. Poured liquor on me. Licked it off. Poured liquor on them. Made me lick it off. Made me do worse…"

"Shit, Matty…it shouldn't have happened to you. Of all the people in the world, why did they have to pick you?" Mello closed his eyes, already plotting several ways to locate the members of the 'parties' and annihilate them.

"It did happen to me. I guess…just not…lucky," Matt cracked half a smile. "Third people blindfolded me. Beating. R-r-rape. More beating. More r-raping. God, it hurt. Mello, it hurt so much. I've been shot before…didn't hurt so much. Wished they would shoot me so it would stop hurting. Wished I was anywhere but there. I…I wanted you. So bad. I wanted you to save me. You're the hero in that fucking game," Matt closed his eyes tightly, curling up tighter into Mello's arms. "Then you saved me. B-but…they aren't dead yet. They'll be…back. In a later level. Like Sephiroth. Never really dies…leaves you guessing. Someone will find me, Mello. I'm scared."

"No one is going to get you, I swear," Mello ran his fingers through his gamer's hair, fully wrapping the boy's frail body in his arms. "I'll protect you. I would give up anything for you, Matty. You're the most important person in the world. You're safe with me. We'll kill everyone who hurt you."

"I hope so, Mel," Matt sighed gently. He could barely keep from falling asleep. "I just don't want to leave you again. I was so afraid…without you. I kept thinking, 'It wouldn't be so bad if Mello was here. Even if he was just watching, it wouldn't hurt so bad. If he was just here, I'd be okay. Even if he was doing these horrible things, I don't think I would hurt so much.' You're the only person I love, Mel. I…trust you most."

"God, Matt, my Matty. You're mine. Nobody else will ever lay a finger on you, I swear. Are you…comfortable?" Mello tilted Matt's chin up, forcing the younger boy to look him in the eye.

"…I'm still hurting," Matt admitted, "but I feel better now that I'm with you. I…Mello…?"

"Yeah, Matt?"

"C-could you sing me a song? My song?" A gentle blush crept up Matt's bruised cheeks.

"Matt," Mello sighed, "I hate singing." One look at the hacker's shattered face, however, convinced Mello that the occasion deserved his attention. _"If I lay here…if I just lay here…would you lie with me, and just forget the world?"_

"Thanks," Matt sighed, snuggling as close to Mello as possible. "I just…"

"I understand," Mello whispered, a tender look gracing his normally hard features. "Try to sleep. It's late."

"'Kay…" Matt whispered as he slipped off into the unknown world of dreams.


	6. Run But Don't Hide

**Author's Note:** What? You thought you'd get away from this story without at least ONE freaky nightmare deal? You were sadly mistaken. So, life has been insanely busy lately. And it's just going to get busier. I'll try to have something new out at least once per week. And by "something new," I mean either a chapter update or a new oneshot, or something like that. Once again, thanks for the awesome reviews. I love reviews. I've got two oneshots that I'm working on right now, both of them are kind of trippy. One might wind up too long to be a oneshot, but we'll have to see about that. I promise that you won't be disappointed. Now, focus back on this story! Onward!

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Death Note. Know why? L. He freaks me out.

**Warning:** Same as the previous chapters. You know the drill.

* * *

Mello lay awake for hours after Matt's breathing became deep and even. He kept one protective arm around the fragile young man, gently rubbing circles on Matt's skin every few minutes. At times, the redhead shivered and shook, tensely whining against Mello's chest. The motions made Mello nervous, like Matt was a frame of glass about to shatter.

"How the hell could anybody want to hurt you, Matty?" Mello whispered against the darkness. "You're so naive. You're so childlike, even as an adult. All the joy that you need in life can be found in a handheld console. You're brilliant, Matty. Abso-fucking-lutely brilliant. And yet, you're utterly helpless against cruel hearted bastards. How can I protect you, Matt?"

"M-m-m…" Matt moaned in his sleep, "Nngh…"

"Sweet dreams, sweet Matt," Mello sighed while trying to force his own tired eyes closed. In the dim room, he could barely make out the faint outlines of the furniture. Every shadow seemed like a threat in the darkness. He tightened his grip on Matt, kissing the redhead's hair softly. Sometime during the night, Mello's thoughts drifted far away, into a land plagued with feverish nightmares.

_Thick, heavy footsteps echoed on the wooden floor. The small blonde boy darted from room to room, trying vainly to find a hiding place. Slurred voices called to him, taunted him. Glass shattered in a nearby room as a woman screamed. A sickening crack ended the noise. The young blonde crouched behind a clothes hamper, concealed poorly by the tails of coats and flowing skirts. He tucked his head between his legs, crying softly, as the voices barked loudly, too close for comfort. Hands ripped at the coats above him, revealing his huddled form. Rough hands, rough feet, kicked and punched and hit him. Through bruised and blurry eyes, blonde hair stood out against the darkness. A halo for the devil. Lifted into the air, thrown haphazardly over the shoulder of a tall man, he fought weakly against the strong grasp. Blond hair and a cruel face greeted his vision.  
Three, four, five. Where did they all come from? The boy fell limp over the strong man's shoulder, resigned to the unknown fate before him. The men carried him far, far away from the house. Uniformed arms pinned him down across a small table in the basement of a warehouse; heavy boots paced behind him. Screaming, and screaming, and screaming.  
__They raped him like a beast._

"_Mello…Mello…Mello…_MELLO!" Matt's voice cut through the haze of a muddled, half-coherent nightmare.

"W-wha…? Matt? Oh, shit, Matty. Is everything all right? Did you hear a noise? Is anyone after us?" Mello squinted hard in the general direction of the door. Only fuzzy shapes greeted him in the dark stillness of the witching hours.

"Nobody's made any noise but you…" Matt whispered softly. "I got worried. Sorry I woke you up."

"I was making noises in my sleep?" A sharp throbbing at his temple caused Mello to gasp. "Shit…my head. What was I saying?"

"_No_. _Stop_. _Please_. _Help_. _Mommy_. _Police_. It was all in Polish, so I'm not exactly sure what else you might have said. What were you dreaming?"

"…Nothing, Matty. It's all right. You're the only one I want to focus on now."

"Mello, tell me. I'm…afraid to fall asleep again. So keep me company and tell me about your dream." Matt traced one finger down Mello's chest.

"Why are you afraid to sleep, Matty? I'll stay up this time. I'll protect you." Mello stifled a yawn and sat up straighter in bed. Matt snuggled deeper in the curve between the blonde's chest and arm.

"I keep feeling my skin crawl," Matt said softly. "I keep hurting. My muscles are throbbing. Mello, it's like one of those games where you have to choose a side and fight for it, but you realize about halfway through that you chose the wrong side. Except this is different."

"Matt, you're babbling in gamer-talk again. What do you mean?"

"…I'm scared. Honestly, Mel? I don't want to be touched. By anyone. Even you. But at the same time, I know that I love you and trust you. It takes a lot of strength for me to feel safe in your arms. But at the same time, I can't feel anything _but_ safe in your arms. You know? I just can't get the whole kidnapping and…other thing out of my mind."

"Those bastards died for what they did, Matty. You're safe with me. Things will go back to normal," Mello ran his shaky fingers through Matt's hair, softly and protectively.

"Mel," Matt said sadly, "They didn't all die. They'll find me."

"They _won't._" Mello firmly stated, "I won't let that happen. You're all I have in this world, and I'll be damned if anyone takes you away from me."

"But they already have."

"It won't happen," Mello repeated. Matt's voice sounded hollow, almost dead; it scared the blonde. "They'll have to kill me to get to you, and I don't die easily."


	7. Red Shell Green Shell

**Author's Note:** Well, it's certainly been a lot longer than intended between updates. My apologies for that. I have written some nice oneshots and short fics since Game Over Ch. 6, so please check them out if you haven't yet. I am also going to update my profile tonight with information on the stories I've started, just so you all know that I'm not being lazy. xP I've got a decent amount started...but getting them worked until they're ready to post is a different matter. Anyway: Here's the newest chapter of Game Over. Another chapter of Ad Interim is coming up soon, so please be on the look out for that! Thank you very much for sticking with me. Onward!

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Death Note. Know why? If I owned Death Note, Beyond Birthday would have been in the manga. He's way too cool to JUST be a novel character. I really need to try a BB story...

**Warning:** Do I really need to repeat this again? Rape, Swearing, Etc.

* * *

"Mello, it's morning," Matt's tiny voice floated into Mello's dream. It took a full two minutes for the blonde to realize what his gamer had said.

"Right, sorry," he moaned, pulling himself into a sitting position. His arm pulsed in protest as pins and needles jabbed him where the muscles had fallen asleep under Matt's head. "You hungry, Matt?"

"A little…" The redhead glanced over toward the locked door, biting his lower lip.

"I won't leave you alone, don't worry." Mello yawned, pulling a cell phone from his suitcase.

He listened cautiously at the dial tone before tapping in a sequence of numbers. The other line rang six times before a drowsy voice answered.

"Karl, put Jay on the line. It's Mello. …I don't care if he's asleep. Wake him up. …Karl, I don't give a flying fuck. Do it."

The blonde pursed his lips in agitation.

"Jay. First and foremost: Do we have a base yet? …Well, why the fuck not? …Fuck. Fair enough. …Two days? We can handle two days. ….Yes, and I need you to bring us some food. …Fuck, I don't know. Surprise us. …I don't care whose money you use; just get it done. …Right. And hurry up, will you? Fucking lazy ass sonofa-" Mello snapped the phone shut, grinning sleepily at his shaking hacker.

"Sorry about that," Mello said, "I tried not to use a rough tone, but the guys…I've got to keep up appearances, right Matty?"

"Right," Matt agreed tentatively. "Hey Mello, can I ask you a question?"

"Of course. Matt, you never have to ask permission for something like that."

"Right. Sorry," Matt blushed. "Do you have anything I can play?"

"A video game? Oh, I don't know," the blonde smirked. "Would the video game resemble a tiny square? With a checkered flag on it? In a gaming device with two screens?"

"You brought Mario Kart!" Matt's eyes lit up, making Mello's heart melt.

"Yeah, I took Mario Kart with me. I…Well, I wanted something of yours with me, to be honest. You had me worried, Matt." Mello ruffled the redhead's sloppy morning hair and slid out of bed, shuffling over toward the elusive game's hiding place.

"Thanks Mello…" Matt whispered. He ran his fingers over the smooth casing of the DS, savoring the feeling.

He flipped it open, instantly morphing into gamer-mode. Halfway through his second round of Rainbow Road, he felt a heavy hand on his shoulder. Without thinking, Matt jumped off the bed, back pressed against the wall, panting hard. The game lay forgotten on the floor, red shells pounding into Yoshi's kart as the COM players lapped him. Green and blue eyes met for an instant, before the blonde turned away.

"Sorry," Mello mumbled, mentally kicking himself. "I just…wanted to see which level you were on. I didn't expect…"

"Mel, stop. Don't worry. I'm…fine," Matt tried to crack a grin and failed. His eyes betrayed his false confidence. "I was just surprised, that's all."

_Christ, Matt, what have they done to you?_

"Right. Just surprised…" Mello sighed, not believing for a moment that Matt was 'just surprised.' He backed off the bed, stalking toward the bathroom door while muttering something about taking a piss.

Just before Mello closed the door, he caught Matt's reflection in the bathroom mirror. The redhead's eyes were closed, head down, arms wrapped protectively around his knees. He looked more like a refugee than a hacker, more like a fallen angel than a sharp-tongued genius.

"_Dear God,"_ Mello thought to himself, locking the bathroom door and sitting on the closed toilet lid in silent prayer, _"God, what have those bastards done to him?"_ Unable to contain it anymore, Mello began to cry.

There was a tentative tap on the bathroom door, shocking Mello out of his weakened state for a moment. The blonde roughly shoved the back of his hand over his eyes, erasing all signs of tears.

"Mel?"

Mello flushed the toilet, lifting the lid as though he had really been using the restroom. He breathed deeply thrice, and twisted the doorknob until the lock popped open. Matt stood waiting on the other side, eyes raging with internal conflict. Without a word, the gamer threw himself onto Mello in a sloppy embrace. Without a moment's hesitation, the blonde eagerly wrapped his arms around Matt's shoulders.

"I'm sorry, Mel. I'm trying. I'm really trying," Matt buried his face in Mello's vest.

"Don't apologize for what you can't help," Mello growled gently. "Just don't be surprised if I forget sometimes…that you're like this. You aren't broken, so don't think you are. It won't last forever. Just let me find the guys that did this to you. Just let me kill them all and write you a love song with their blood. We'll bathe in their blood, Matty. Me and you. We'll never have to worry about them again."

"Mel, they're going to find me. It's bound to happen," He stared up at Mello with glazed eyes. "It's like trying to escape a boss fight; just when you think you're safe, they pop out of nowhere and beat the shit out of your character. And we won't be ready with potions and mana. You know, the characters who get kidnapped once are usually kidnapped two or three more times before the game is over."

"It won't happen. We'll kill them before that happens." Mello guided Matt back to the bed, picking up the DS and flicking the Power Off switch. "If it comes down to a boss battle, just let me take care of it. I'll be…" The blonde frowned, searching the depths of his mind to recall any heroes that Matt had mentioned, "I'll be Cloud, and you can be…Aeris."

"But Mello…Aeris died. Cloud couldn't save her."

Mello opened his mouth to respond, but three sharp knocks on the hotel door silenced him. He stood and crossed the room to the door, unlatching the latches and unlocking the locks. Jay handed him two Styrofoam boxes and a two-liter of Diet Coke. Mello took them silently, slipping a ten dollar bill to the henchman before slamming the door in his face.

"Food, Matt."

The two ate in silence.


	8. Bump In The Night

**Author's Note: **I'm posting this as the Death Note ending theme blares from my television. So this was Epsiode 35 in English. MATT SPOKE. I LOVED HIS VOICE. As short as it was, it suited him. The laid-back easygoing Matty that everyone knows and loves. And MELLO. u.u I'm so sad. That fucking bitch killed my Mello! I knew it would happen, I knew it was happening that way...but it didn't keep me from SCREAMING at the television. I swear, I didn't know I could say so many swearwords in such a small amount of time. And Mello...when he apologized to Matt (via television), I nearly started crying. I had to pray to my Mello wall scroll to make myself feel better. I need chocolate now. u.u Anyways, this chapter of Game Over...I was going to put more filler before this one, but I figured I'd just get it over with. Onward!

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Death Note. Know why? BECAUSE MELLO WOULDN'T HAVE FUCKING DIED. That's why. God DAMN it. I hate Takada so damn much. I knew it was going to happen, but DAMN I still want to string her up by her skinny little neck and light her on fire myself...

**Warning: **Cussing, really bad nightmare, spoilers in the author note (obviously), and all sorts of stuff. Rape. Just check the previous chapters.

* * *

_**New! Better! Improved! You can't live without this, folks! It's the new GermX Pro! Cleans like regular GermX, but also does your laundry, balances your checkbook, and babysits your kids! You can't live without this product. Call 1-800…**_

_Click._

Mello groaned at the lack of television channels on the hotel TV and pressed the POWER button on the remote. Matt snored comfortably in the crook of his arm, exhausted after doing nothing all day. Correction: after playing Mario Kart and Crash Bandicoot all day. It wasn't much, but it was progress.

"Hey, Matty," Mello whispered, not caring if the boy could hear him or not, "I knew you'd be stronger than those bastards. See? You're getting better already, and it's been less than a week. We'll kill them all before the month is up. I promise."

He pressed the slightest hint of a kiss to Matt's pale forehead, holding his breath as the redhead stirred in his sleep. Checking his gun one final time, Mello let sleep take over his senses. Immediately, the nightmares began to plague him. He stopped being the macho gun-wielding mafia hotshot, and started being a scared little boy again.

_Tired, cold, and hungry, the young blonde boy hunched over as far as the rope would allow. The bindings cut into his wrists like piano wire, preventing him from sitting comfortably and keeping him half-suspended at all times. He cried out for his mother, weeping bitter tears onto the dirty floor. His cheeks flushed with fever, streaked with dirt, and his right leg throbbed painfully. Everywhere ached. Everything hurt.  
__Boots thumped somewhere outside of his tiny room. Boots sent the boy to shivering and vomiting, because boots meant that they were back. One by one, the men filed into the blonde's filthy room. One by one, they removed their crisp coats and shiny guns and set them on the table. One by one, they walked over to the sobbing child and stroked his cheek, his chest, his stomach, and lower.  
__They threw dice on a table and began to play. Once, twice, thrice, and the winner was chosen. Curses were tossed about carelessly, as the winner stripped and the losers took their places against the far wall. Rough hands took the tiny angel from his bindings. Rough lips crushed against pale flesh.  
_"_Goldene Haar," he moaned, fingering the young boy's locks gently. Such a tender act, but such a cruel actor.  
__And then, there were only screams._

And Mello screamed for real, shocking himself and Matt out of their sleep and into the harsh world of reality. Matt flew off the bed, curling up on the floor. Mello swore under his breath and stepped out from under the covers, crossing the short gap between them.

"Sorry Matt," he mumbled, kneeling by the wide-eyed hacker. "I didn't mean to scare you."

"S'okay…" Matt whispered, unfurling himself from his hunched position. The two crawled back into bed, but Matt wouldn't let Mello fall asleep so soon.

"Mel…?"

"Go to sleep, Matty. We need all the sleep we can get." Mello pulled Matt closer to his chest, wrapping his arm around the younger man's shoulders. Matt could feel him trembling.

"Talk to me," Matt whispered against the stark darkness of the night. "You had that dream again, didn't you?"

"It was only a dream, Matt. I didn't mean to wake you. Just try to sleep now, all right?" The blonde shifted uncomfortably, tugging at the blanket until it bunched around his neck.

"Mello," Matt said tenderly, tracing one finger across the blankets, "Maybe if you talk about your dream…you won't be so scared anymore. I'll tell you about my dreams, if you'll tell me about yours."

"You dream, Matt?"

"Every night. I just don't wake myself up."

"…You win. I'll tell you."

Mello swallowed the lump in his throat, licking his lips. His mind fumbled around until he found the words to explain this…feeling to his gamer. His lover. His friend.

"Matt, you know where I came from, right? I mean, before I got to Wammy's."

"Yeah, you lived in Poland, in that city called Kalisz. You had a mom, and a little sister, and your father was in the army. You told me that before."

"I'm glad you remember," he paused, taking another shuddery breath. "My mom died when I was five. I don't know what happened to my little sister. She was only two, so I suppose she died around the same time. I was hiding in our laundry room when my mom died. They came in the house…"

"They?" Matt rolled over, wrapping one slender arm around Mello's shoulder. They drew closer together subconsciously.

"They…the people. Those men, that…group. I don't know who they were, really. They looked like policemen, with shiny badges and huge boots. But they didn't speak like us. They spoke in Polish, German, Russian…all sorts of languages. It was crazy, really. Almost like the Nazi in World War II, they'd storm into houses and rape the women, kill the families, and steal the valuables. The police never stopped them. That's why I think…I think that they WERE the police. Because someone would've stopped them, you know?" His voice shook slightly, and Matt kissed his chest.

"Matt, they came into my house. I heard my mom scream, so I ran and hid. And then she didn't scream anymore. And I heard their boots all over the house, and then they FOUND me. And it was so dark, but I could tell that they all had blonde hair like mine. And they carried me to this warehouse, past the churches and schools, and they…attacked me." Mello closed his eyes at the vivid memory, skin crawling.

"But they didn't kill you?" Matt ventured.

"No, otherwise I wouldn't be here. Sometimes, I almost wish they had killed me. They just kept attacking me. I was tied up in some dark room, and they'd play games to decide who got to play with me. I was their 'engel' with the 'goldene haar' and the screams like breaking crystals…"

"Mel?" Matt placed his hands on both sides of Mello's face, pressing tiny kisses to his forehead and lips.

Mello didn't hear him. He couldn't feel his lover's hands, nor his sweet tiny kisses. He was back in Poland, hips bruising over a rough table. He was still five years old, and bruised, and beaten. He was crying, voice already spent, as his eyes looked vainly to the men against the wall. The men against the wall were always watching with hungry eyes.

"Mello? Mel?"

Matt's voice invaded his nightmarish vision, tugging him away from the raw memory. He gazed into Matt's green eyes, shocked to find tears streaming down the redhead's face. He reached over to brush them away, and found that his own eyes had shed tears as well.

"It was only a few weeks, but it felt like a lifetime. But somehow, they were raided by more men with more badges and more big boots, and I was rescued. I lived in this little orphanage in Kalisz for a month, but they couldn't keep me. I was too much trouble. I was a bit manic for a while, I guess. Insecure one moment, violent the next. Hiding one minute, beating the snot out of someone the next. They sent me to another orphanage in Poland, where I acted out again. I was passed around for a year, and then I found myself in a prison-style orphanage. That place wasn't so bad, I guess. They were really concerned for our reformation. Their methods were unconventional, but I did learn to control myself. I'll always be impulsive, but I should never become as crazed as I once was."

"I like the impulsive part of you," Matt smiled. "That's how you found me."

"Yeah," Mello smirked. "Wammy found me when I was almost seven, and brought me all the way to England. I'd only been there a few months when you showed up. I can't remember exactly why…but I was out of class the day you showed up. And you looked so damn lonely in the common room. So, even though it was against the rules, I tackled you and started roughhousing. And you played along."

"And Roger got pissed," Matt laughed. "But you didn't care, because you had gotten me to play and smile. And that's how we became friends. You know, it really hurt when you tackled me that time. And the thousand times after that."

"You've always been a lightweight, Matty," the blonde smirked. He glanced at his cell phone's clock and frowned. "It's really late, Matt. We need to go back to sleep."

"We really do. Think you'll be able to sleep now? You're here, and you love me, and I love you. You aren't back in Poland, and you're not young and scared." Matt kissed Mello deeply, smiling against his lips. "Now let's sleep."

"Yeah. Sleep. Goodnight, Matty."

"Night, Mel."

The room stilled around the couple. Matt's breathing soon became slow and even. Mello's eyelids drooped as his muscles relaxed. Just as the first essence of sleep washed itself over Mello's sleep-starved body, his cell phone began to blare.

Groaning, he fumbled around until his fingers closed around the ringing and vibrating apparatus. He flipped it open without checking the caller ID.

"Yeah?" He barked harshly, "What is it?"

"_My, my, Mello. You haven't changed at all."_ The voice on the other end said emotionlessly. Mello's eyes snapped open.

"NEAR?"


	9. Nearly Pissed Enough

**Author's Note:** All right, so I couldn't wait to post this chapter. xP I wrote the majority of it as soon as I finished writing Chapter 8, but just finished the last of it today. An interesting note about today: I only got three hours of sleep last night. Mhm. Three. My beautiful little kitten, Kisa, decided to wake me up at _five in the morning_ today, and I never made it to bed until two o'clock last night. That's three hours of sleep. Anyone want to guess what I had to do this morning? If you said, "Take a practice ACT exam," you're right. xP Yuck. Anyways, now that I've got a sudden burst of plot for this story...expect a few more updates than normal. xP Onward!

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Death Note. Know why? I'd have my own personal Death Note, complete with a sexy Shinigami that reminds me of a certain blonde...

**Warning:** See previous chapters. If you're still unsure of why you shouldn't be reading this story, you're stupid.

* * *

"_Yes, Mello. I'm glad that you recall my voice so easily. How are you, might I ask?"_

"Cut the pleasantries, _Near_," Mello hissed into the phone. Matt, somehow, was still asleep, nose buried into Mello's chest. "What is it that you _want?_"

_"Ah, Mello, this brings back memories. But you're right, pleasantries aside, I have a purpose to my call."_

"How the hell did you get this number, anyway? Only my boys know this number. It's a secure line, or it should be."

_"It is. Very secure, actually. Your 'boys' are very loyal, by the way. It took quite some time to pry this number from my contact's lips. Onto business, though…"_

"Wait, what? Near, you…you little BASTARD! You conned one of my men? Who the fuck was it? I don't believe this, you snake. Your contact, my ass…" Mello was tempted to throw the phone across the room until it shattered into a million pieces. He refrained from doing so, however, because it was his only link to Jay and the base.

_"Mello, it was not my intention to upset you. I only needed to speak with you. Do you recall a figure back at Wammy's House named 'Beyond'?"_

"Of course I remember B!" Mello spat. Something clicked inside his mind, a tangled memory of a raven-haired boy with murder in his eyes. "What about him?"

_"He's dead. Kira killed him. It was shortly before L died."_

"Oh."

_"Apparently, before L died, he sent a note from Beyond to you at Wammy's house. Somehow, the note disappeared in the chaos between Beyond's demise and L's own death. It recently resurfaced."_

"Oh. And I suppose you're going to send it to me?"

_"No, actually. I was hoping you would come fetch it yourself."_

"Fuck you, Near. I'd rather rot in hell than see you," Mello spat, nearly crushing the phone in his grip.

_"Suit yourself. I suppose I'll destroy it, then…"_

"Wait! Fuck, Near, it's not exactly a good time right now. Can I send one of my guys to meet one of your guys?"

_"No, I don't believe that will be possible. As you may know, Mello, I do not trust you or your mafia thugs. I will only deliver the letter to you, and you alone. And unless you adjust your plans to suit my schedule, I shall destroy the note in one week. Are you willing to work with me, now?"_

"I've NEVER been willing to work with you, you arrogant prick," Mello took two deep breaths to calm himself. He subconsciously stroked Matt's hair to ease his temper. "Where are you right now, Near?"

_"I am at my headquarters. Where else would I be?"_

"No, you idiot. Where are you located geographically?"

_"A joke, Mello. Your temper is as hot as ever, I see. We are located in Los Angeles presently."_

"LOS ANGELES?" Mello screeched, clamping a hand over his mouth before he woke up Matt. "Los Angeles. All right, I suppose I can meet with you. As _inconvenient_ as it is, I can meet you in Los Angeles. Where at?"

_"Oh, I won't make you travel too far. We can meet at the coffee shop right down the street from the hotel you're staying at."_

"Hotel? How the fuck did you know...? Fuck, have you been spying on me?" Mello gritted his teeth. "You sneaky bastard. Fine. Give me a time and a date."

_"Tomorrow, around noon. Please do not be late. And tell Matt that I send my best wishes for his quick recovery."_

"How the FUCK do you know about Matt?" Mello screamed, finally waking up the sleeping redhead beside him.

_"I have my ways. Goodbye Mello. Don't be late."_

"You fucking BASTARD!" Mello growled, but the line had gone dead. Mello set his phone down on the table and immediately threw the phone book at the wall.

"Mel? What's wrong? Who was that?" Matt sat up in bed, letting the blankets pool around his waist.

"It was _Near_," Mello spat, cursing under his breath. "I'm meeting him tomorrow down the street. He's got something for me…from B."

"From B? You mean Beyond, from Wammy's?" Matt's eyes flashed. "Did Near find him? He left so long ago…"

"B's dead," Mello said bluntly. Matt's green orbs lost their shine instantly, almost making Mello regret the announcement. "But he left me something. And that fucking _Near_ won't let me send someone else to get it."

"What'd he leave?"

"A note for me. I have to get it tomorrow, but the café is right down the street."

"Oh," Matt said, sliding back under the blankets.

"We need to get some sleep, Matty. That's the last interruption of the night. If anything else wakes me up, I'll fucking shoot it. Phone included."

"What if I wake you up?" Matt whispered.

"I'll shoot the goddamn wall. Go to sleep, Matt," Mello draped his arm around Matt again and closed his eyes, determined to fall asleep before any other distractions could claim his attention.


	10. Turnaround

**Author's Note:** Wow, Fucking, Wow. I just got done watching the final episode of Death Note in English. And Oh. My. Fucking. God. I was seriously impressed. I've watched it in Japanese before, but it was _so_ long ago that I barely remembered. And man. That was masterful. Seriously. I had to update an entire blog on my reactions to the episode. Light; I have absolute utter sympathy for poor Light. Watching him flail and struggle and _lose_ made me recall that first episode of Death Note. It was the first episode when I decided that I loved Light, because I understood his mission and I agreed fully with his logic. And because he was just a kid. Just a kid like me. And he was a kid with power, and he used that power to create a New World. But things got in the way, and he became a kid trapped under heavy burdens. And then, he was a kid that became a man without growing up. Although he was a man as he was shot, he was still just a kid...just a kid with a lot of power that lost something very important. And the ending scenes, as the credits were rolling, nearly made me cry. Also, (I know this Author's Note is WAY too long, but I can't help it!) I actually loved Near for a minute. I know. It hurts to admit. But I loved Near when he talked about Mello. Because, unlike the manga where he seemed almost snotty about it, he sounded so sincere. And that's why I liked him for a minute. He included Mello. And that's impressive. I also like how they left out a few lines from the manga, which really gave him a sincere voice. Anyways, this chapter certainly makes things interesting in Game Over! Onward!

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Death Note. Know why? MIKAMI. FREAK. OH MY GOD FREAK.

**Warning:** Same as previously. Come on, you know it. OH! Forgot to mention this: Who else screamed "Damn you!" at the television when Near said "You lost The Game?" xD I couldn't decide whether to laugh or scream. Onward!

* * *

"S-s-so…you're l-l-leaving?" Matt stuttered, limbs trembling awkwardly as he watched Mello brush his hair.

"Only for a little bit. Less than an hour, I promise. You'll be fine, Matt. I can leave one of my guys here with you, if you want."

"N-no…I, uh, Mello? Why can't I come?" Matt bit his lip, trying to still his voice.

"I don't trust Near. That's why. And I don't want you anywhere in public right now, especially in a coffee shop in downtown Los Angeles. You are safer here right now. Are you sure you don't want me to call Jay? He'll come sit with you until I'm back. But I swear, Matt, it'll only be an hour. Less," he added, "I swear it."

"J-just go on, Mello. I'm f-f-fine. Really. I'm fine." Matt pulled out his Gameboy and flicked the power on, nestling among the pillows, clothes, and blankets that somehow got strewn across the head of the bed.

Mello rechecked his appearance before donning a pair of dark sunglasses to hide his eyes. He wrapped one of Jay's knives in cloth and carefully strapped it to his ankle, hidden by his tall boots. Just in case.

"I'm going now, Matt. Don't let anyone in. Don't answer the phone. If you get hungry, there's still a bag of chips in the suitcase. I'll try to bring some lunch home for us, all right? I'll see you in a little while."

"Wait!" Matt cried, abandoning his beeping Gameboy to lunge after the blonde. "Mello, there's something I want to say before you leave."

"What is it, Matty?" Mello sighed, glancing at the clock. "I can't be late for this."

"I…I just wanted to say…" Matt took a deep breath, "…I love you, Mello. Come home soon."

"I love you, too, Matty," the blonde smiled, brushing the back of his gloved hand across Matt's cheek. "I'll be home soon. Beat that Gameboy game before you Game Over, all right?"

"Right." Matt slid back down onto the bed, taking the DS in his hands.

"Bye, Matty," Mello said as he slipped into the blinding sunlight.

It took nearly five minutes for his eyes to adjust to the startling sharpness of the outside world, even through heavily tinted sunshades. After being stuck in a dark hotel room for a few days, reality just seemed too…real. He gripped the thin railing tightly as he minced his way down the stairs toward the sidewalk.

The café was a short distance away from the hotel, but the walk felt like an eternity. Mello kept his head bowed as he passed busy people and dark alleyways, not pausing to look anyone in the eye. He ducked into the coffee shop, tensing at the ding that resounded from the bell above the door, and slid into an open booth in the very back corner. He forced himself to relax, pulling a magazine over from a nearby table. He flipped through it mindlessly, not paying any attention at all, and tried to make his mind grasp hold of the smooth jazz music floating over the speakers.

Thinking of Near got him on edge. Leaving Matt alone sent him flying over the edge. His fingers shook in rage at the idea of Matt being left alone at Near's whim; the more he thought of it, the angrier he got. But he wasn't made to wait long.

"Mello."

The voice grated against his ears. He carefully closed the magazine he held and placed it on the table before meeting the white-haired boy's gaze.

"Near."

"It's been quite some time, hasn't it?" Near said listlessly. Mello watched him slide into the booth, smirking at the baseball cap on his head. Even Near needs a disguise, or so it seemed.

"Hasn't it?" Mello smirked, flashing his canines. Every ounce of rage turned to confidence as he stared down his rival. "All right, _Near_, let's get this over with. Hand me the note from Beyond, and we can part ways again. I've got things to do, people to see."

"In a moment, Mello," Near spoke calmly, "First, I would like to discuss some things."

"Things? What kind of things?" Mello gritted his teeth, "Near, I don't have time to fuck around."

"I understand. I shall make this brief. First and foremost, how far have you progressed on the Kira case?"

"That's none of your business, _Near._ I am succeeding in my own way. I won't inquire how you're doing. I just want to get this over with," Mello spat.

"That's too bad," Near replied, completely unfazed. "I was willing to share my information with you. You know I've never minded working with you, Mello. I suppose I'll move on to the second point of business. How is Matt?"

"He's recovering," Mello whispered darkly. "I'm going to kill those bastards who hurt him. That's all there is to it."

"Ah, Mello, how typical. You really shouldn't admit to a crime you will commit. Especially to someone who has unlimited government influence. It is as good as admitting to L that you plan to kill."

"_Don't say his name,_" Mello hissed. "Near, just stop. Give me the message from Beyond and let me leave."

"I am not holding you hostage, Mello. You may leave right now, if you wish. However, I will not hand you the message until I am finished. Thirdly, are you aware of the situation at Wammy's?"

"What situation?" Mello asked, narrowing his eyes. "I haven't heard a thing about a situation back there. I haven't been in touch with anyone from Wammy's, save for you and Matt, since I left."

"I figured as much," Near said casually. "It seems that the contest for L has driven the new generation of orphans into a chaotic state. Roger has had to hire security guards to keep the peace."

"What?" Mello's eyes bugged. "Why? Things never got that bad during our generation, or the one before. I mean, yes, Roger had his hands full with Matt and I, but security was never required. What exactly are they doing?"

"At last, something I've mention peaks your interest," Near smiled, amused. "There are four new candidates for our heirs. The new Rank One is a young boy, and is, as Roger describes, a mirror image of you when you were younger. Rank Two is a girl with a temper, and Ranks Three and Four are twin boys. Apparently, Ranks One and Two are involved in a war of sorts. Roger described it very similarly to the conflict you had with me, yet this new generation has grown terribly violent. There have been several instances where children were bullied and beaten to the point of hospitalization."

"And it is because of these prodigies that might become our heirs?" Mello's head reeled.

"It seems that way. Rank One has a tightly knit group of followers that do his dirty work. Rank Two has nearly every girl in the orphanage at her heels. Three and Four are double-trouble, always organizing plots against both faculty and students. It is, in a sense, anarchy."

"What business is it of ours?" Mello asked, knitting his brows in confusion.

"Roger wishes for our advice on the situation. If you have a solution to spare, please contact him. That is all he wishes to say to you." Near glanced at the clock hanging on the wall. "My final matter of business before I deliver Beyond's note is this: You owe me. I have placed a filter on the internet preventing your image to be posted. Several people want you dead, Mello. Your face was on three pro-Kira websites. I am not sure how your photograph got out, but I would keep a close eye on your mafia thugs if I were you. I own the only picture of you that should be in existence."

"My…my…_what?_" Mello gasped, wide-eyed. "How the fuck…?"

"Your face was online. I took care of the problem and added a special filter to track any other movements against you. Luckily, none of the websites had your real name on it. You should watch your back, Mello. I cannot baby-sit you forever."

"You bastard," Mello seethed. "I won't thank you, you know."

"I expected as much. Mello has always let his pride guide his tongue. I was simply alerting you to the situation. Now," Near spoke, pulling a thin envelope from his jacket, "I believe this is what you have been waiting on. Goodbye, Mello."

Mello snatched the envelope from Near's hand without a word, stuffing it in his own jacket securely. He stood swiftly, glared pointedly at his rival, and exited the café as though he had never been there.

He kept his hand firmly against his chest where the envelope stayed hidden. His fingers were itching to tear the envelope to shreds, to devour the note inside with his eyes. He couldn't wait to show Matt.

"Matt," he called upon entering the hotel room, "I got the…" Mello blinked in the dim glare of the television. "Matt?"

His eyes swept the room, a growing sense of dread gurgling in his heart. He crossed to the bathroom and looked inside. No Matt.

"MATT?" He screamed, and began to fling furniture and blankets out of the way. "MATT! Matt! Where are you? MATT!"

No Matt.

"This isn't fucking funny! Matt, where the fuck are you?" Mello panted, hysterical and hyperventilating. This wasn't happening. No way in hell.

"MATT?" Mello spotted Matt's Nintendo DS on the ground, blaring the Game Over message while flashing various colors.

Then he noticed the note. It was situated discreetly under the coffee pot, tilted toward the mirror. A simple note card with black ink, two small words, caused Mello's world to come crashing down around him.

"_**Found You."**_


	11. Watch Your Back

**Author's Note:** I apologize in advanced for what you are about to read. See Author's Note The Second at the bottom of the page, all right? So, I wrote this up over a span of five hours. However, I didn't write more than a paragraph at any point. xP I'd write a little, watch some Comedy Central, write a little, go play around online, etc. So if it sounds choppy, blame my short attention span. And yes, subtle hints in the form of reviews for my other stories ACTUALLY work. xP Feel free to "subliminal message" the hell out of me.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Death Note. Know why? I'd give Mello and Matt a ton more airtime. Seriously. Those boys need their own SHOW, at least.

**Warning:** Rape, cussing, violence...clovers and blue moons. I don't know. Don't read if you don't know what you're getting into.

* * *

"Jay, I am dead fucking serious. Get the fuck out here. Right now."

"But Boss, the base isn't…"

"Fuck the base. My hacker is missing again, and we need to fucking get him back. I need a lab tech and a gunman. Get them out here, god damn it!"

"Boss, are you sure the kid didn't jump ship? You know what you'd have done to him once he recovered."

Mello's eyes widened; that thought had never occurred to him.

"He wouldn't abandon me. He knows…" _How much I love him, how much he means to me,_ "…that I can track him down and kill him. Besides, the bastards who took him left a note."

"Any leads from it?"

"No."

"…All right. We'll be there A-SAP. Boss, give us ten minutes."

"You have five."

"Got it."

The line went dead, leaving Mello with nothing but the low buzzing in his ears and fog in his vision. He sank down onto the mattress, steeling himself against the tears that burned at his eyes. Matt. _Oh_, Matt.

"I shouldn't have left him," he whispered to no one. "It's my fault that he's gone. I shouldn't have left him…"

Like a zombie, completely numb in the mind, he gathered up the few things he might need and shoved them in his pockets. His arms and legs worked mechanically, propelling him from Point A to Point B.

"Oh, Matt," he whispered. "Oh, Matt. Where are you?"

A sudden knock at the door drew Mello out of his melancholy state. Without even checking the peephole, he clicked the locks open. He pulled at the door handle, expecting to see Jay and his mafia thugs, but was instead greeted with the barrel of a gun.

"Where the fuck is he?" The gun's owner growled, pressing the cold metal against Mello's forehead and forcing him back into the motel room. Mello's back hit the wall before he found his voice.

"Where's who?" He choked out. "Don't you have him?"

"_Zane_," the man hissed, putting his finger on the trigger. "Where is _Zane_? We know that you've got him here. Fess up."

"Who the hell is Zane?" Mello swore, trying to keep as much intimidation in his shaky voice as he could. "Where the fuck is _Matt?_"

"He ain't with you?" The man kept his gun drawn, but loosened the pressure on Mello's skull. "Fuck. I get it now. That fucking shit-faced bastard fucking jumped out on us. Hey, Boys," he called over his shoulder, never breaking eye contact with the blonde, "Zane took things into his own hands, looks like. Mr. Big Bad here, his little playmate is missing. Two guesses as to who took that little wretch."

"Shit, Boss," one of the men cussed. Mello strained his eyes to see them through the horrible fog in his vision. There were four shadows looming in the darkness, silhouettes against the drab interior.

"Do you know where my partner is?" Mello managed to scowl, even while he faced the business end of a pistol.

"Your fucking _boyfriend_ is none of my business," the man spat. "I need my _shooter_. But I guess he had plans of his own. He must've really liked what we did to your brat. You know, he probably loved how that little pussy screamed."

Mello closed his eyes, still feeling the dull throb of the weapon against his skin. A fierce, boiling, pulsing hate rose like bile in his throat. He wanted to kill this man. He wanted to completely annihilate every trace of this worthless pig.

"May I ask, Sir, what they call you?" He growled, keeping his voice even. He shifted to the side, relieving a bit of the gun's pressure.

"You can ask, but I ain't tellin'. You're a damn fool, you know? Who's the one with the gun in this room? Who's the guy with the power, huh?" The assailant cracked the mouth of the gun across Mello's cheek.

Mello spat blood, eyes flaming with rage. "I would tell you, Sir, but you haven't mentioned your name."

_Crack._ Mello felt his lip split.

"A smartass, huh? Figures. You hotshots are all the same. You're tough shit until you're faced with death, and then you shit yourself trying to be a tough guy. I don't know where your pansy boyfriend is. I don't give a flying fuck. You know what I want?"

"Uh, Boss, I think you should…" One of the men in the background began to fidget, reaching for his gun holster.

"Shut the hell up, Riki. Now, as I was saying, I think I want you to start begging for your life right now, Mr. Bad Ass. Get on your knees and beg!"

Mello squinted into the man's cruel face, slowly lowering himself to his knees. The man smiled wickedly, brushing the underside of the blonde's chin with his gun.

"Boss! I think there's…"

"Shut up, Marty. Now, little boy, start begging. Beg for your life. I love to hear desperation. It makes me hard."

"I…" Mello glanced cautiously around the man's waist, toward his cronies who silently shuffled out of the room. "Don't kill me, Boss Man."

"No, no. Hell no. BEG me. Don't demand shit. Beg for your life like the bitch you are," the man chuckled, petting Mello's hair mock-tenderly.

"Don't kill me," Mello whispered, barely keeping his fury contained. "You're such a _strong_ Boss Man, aren't you? Just so damn _powerful_. How could a little guy like me hope to defeat you? You're like a _God_, aren't you?" Mello snuck one more glance around the man, counting silently in his head. "Just so _brilliant_ and _powerful_. You must have such a huge following. How many men do you have, _Sir_?"

"I brought the four behind me. Back at the base, I've got hundreds. There were seventeen of us that night we played with your toy. He was great, you know."

Mello lifted his eyes to the man's face, glaring coldly. The man smirked sadistically, dragging the tip of his gun across Mello's cheek. A few dull noises thumped around in the background.

"_Was_ he?" Mello seethed. "_Tell_ me about it, will you? _Sir?_"

"Oh, he was. Tightest ass I've ever been in. He screamed so loud. He just kept screaming and screaming. He cussed at first, but we broke him of that. And when we played Doctor, he just fought and fought. So much life in that kid; so much spunk. It's too bad that my shooter will probably kill him, isn't it? Zane had the most fun that day. And now, he's probably going to die. Shooter doesn't like to keep his playthings alive. They don't fight as much when they're dead."

"You fucking bastard," Mello screeched. The man stiffened, cocked the trigger, took aim, and…

_**BANG.**_

* * *

**Author's Note The Second:** Cliffhanger! Cliffhangers for the win. I know you all really hate me right now. I swear that the next update will be swift. Don't kill me just yet! xP


	12. Little Red Bird

**Author's Note:** Did my cliffhanger absolutely kill you? Are you sitting there with a pitchfork, ready to pluck my eyes out? I'm sorry for leaving you guys hanging for so long. xP I had every intention of updating earlier this week, but I kept getting dragged away from my computer. Bah. But I got it done! Here's the latest chapter of Game Over. I really loved writing this one; it just flowed from my fingers without me having to think about it. xP Of course, it's almost four in the morning right now. So I'm not really thinking about ANYTHING right now. xD Teehee. All right, I promise promise promise that Ad Interim, Between Angels and Thieves, and Round One are ALL getting updates before this time next week. I swear. Cross my heart and everything. I've actually got half a chapter of Between Angels and Thieves written. So expect updates on those! All right, I've made you wait long enough. Onward!

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Death Note. If I owned Death Note, I would trade for the Shinigami Eyes. What? I want 'em! I'd gladly trade half my lifespan for them! Die young and leave a pretty corpse, ne?

**Warning:** Whole. Lot. Of. Cussing. Geez, I must've been in sailor-mode for this chapter. These guys swear like crazy. But I can't really blame them. Oh, and rape. And abuse. And...well. You're going to hate me after this chapter. I just know it. Blame Zane!

* * *

_**BANG.**_

Mello cringed as the man's head exploded against the motel wall, bits of blood and brain matter dripping down across the blonde's shoulders. He wiped at his eyes, smirking to hide his repulsion, before standing up to kick the crumpled body aside.

"Excellent timing, Jay," he grinned at the man standing in the doorway.

"I try my best, Boss. Are you all right?" Jay motioned for the sniper and lab tech to hurry inside the room. "These two took care of the guy's men outside. We kept one alive. He might know something."

"Great," Mello snorted, wiping blood from his lip. "Bring his ass in."

The sniper, Vance, dragged the struggling minion in by the hair. Max, the lab tech, kept a knife at the man's throat. They shut the door behind them, tossing the wounded man at Mello's feet. Someone pressed a pistol into Mello's palm.

Mello glared daggers at the sniveling creature. He took a fistful of the man's hair in his strong grip, hoisting him to his knees. The biting metal of the gun's barrel brushed teasingly over the man's temple.

"What's your name?" Mello barked, shaking the semi-conscious form roughly.

"H-h-hal," he choked.

"All right, Hal," Mello hissed, "Talk. Where's Zane?"

* * *

Matt shivered and retched again, jerking hard against the rough, calloused fingers tracing the sharp jut of his collarbone. The hot breath teasing his ear made bile rise in his throat, but it was the horrible thing _inside_ him that made him so sick.

"You simply sing," the man whispered. "You sing so sweetly when I take you. Like a little bird."

"What…now?" Matt groaned through gritted teeth. "First, a…fuckin'…fish. Now…a bird?"

"Yes," the man moaned, moving uncomfortably inside the young hacker. "Birds are so beautiful, aren't they? All you have to do is clip their wings, and they'll never leave. You're a little red bird, like a cardinal. Sing for me, little bird."

He pushed deeper inside, pulling out and slamming back inside again and again.

Matt _screamed_.

* * *

"Take a left here. Go half a mile until you see a greenhouse."

"Good, Hal," Mello purred, stroking the man's face with the pistol's tip. "What should we know about Zane?"

"He's fuckin' psycho," Hal shivered, "Your boy is probably dead already. Give up."

Mello glared out the window, counting slowly to ten before he violently cracked the butt of the gun across the man's face. Hal coughed and sputtered, fresh blood dribbling down his chin. Mello snorted, gazing back out the window.

"Drive faster, Jay."

"Right, Boss. I'll go as fast as I can safely go."

Mello shifted anxiously in his seat, wishing like hell that the car would go faster. Matt was waiting. Trying vainly to ease his nerves, Mello turned toward his captive once again.

"Hal. Who all did we kill back at the motel?"

"Them? Lonnie 'n Riki 'n Marty. And Boss, of course. I fuckin' hate you for killing them all. I've worked with each and every one 'a them guys for two years now. Like family or something."

"They tried to kill me first," Mello growled, "so shut the fuck up. What do you know about your Boss?"

"Fuck," Hal swore, hanging his head. "There's no use hiding anything now. Boss went by Doc before he hit the right rank. He still loves to play Doctor with the guys we rough up. I think he was a med school dropout or something. I don't know. I'm just a lackey. I haven't risen much in ranks yet, you know?"

"Understandable. Someone like you wouldn't know much about those you work for. Were you there when…when my hacker was kidnapped the first time?"

"Me 'n Lonnie were. But only on the first day, because Boss needed us there. We just watched, I swear. We were only there to shoot someone if we got attacked. I swear to God."

Mello closed his eyes, tightening his grip on the gun.

"Tell me everything you know. Names, actions, whatever you think of. Your life depends on your answer, you fucking pig," he hissed, gripping the pistol so hard that his knuckles turned white.

"Shit! Fine, fine! Just don't fuckin' kill me!" Hal cringed, turning his head away from the intimidating blonde. "Fuck. I got called the first day, and the guys brought him in. He was drugged out of his mind, far as I saw. Fuckin' blacked out or something. He didn't bitch a fit or anything when they tied him up and stretched him across the table. I was on the couch the whole time, I swear. I didn't touch him at all. I just sat around with Lonnie and drank a few beers. We were just two people in a room of twenty. Honest."

"Fine, whatever," Mello snarled through gritted teeth, "Just tell me what the fuck happened."

"A-a-all right, sorry. Uh, then…lessee…they sat around and drank a little while until he started coming to. So they talked to him a bit, and he didn't answer anything. He started cussing and Jeremiah slapped him like fucking hell. Sammy and Neon started teasing him at some point, putting their hands all over his face and crotch. I think someone shoved a finger up his ass and made him suck it. I don't remember. Shit, just know I didn't do any of it! Don't shoot the messenger, yeah?" Hal glanced up nervously, deciding quickly to keep his gaze focused on the ratty carpet interior of the car. "Oh, uh, driver? Another left at this stoplight. Take the highway until you've passed five exits. Take the sixth…it should be right after that KFC sign."

"Just keep talking," Mello demanded, cocking the gun.

"Shit! Shit! I get it! Fuck. Well, Boss started getting horny after a few drinks, so he wanted to Play Doctor with the kid. Promise you won't kill me for telling you?"

"I fucking swear it. Just fucking spit it out!" Mello screamed wildly, making Jay and Max jump in shock.

"Oh, Christ. Oh, Christ. Fuck, man. Don't fucking shoot me. God damn it, I'm talking! I'm talking! Oh, fuck me. So Boss, he fucking wanted to Play Doctor. So he made sure the kid's wrists were tied and he…ah, fuck. He shot the kid up with aphrodisiac. And let him sweat for a while. I didn't laugh, honest to God! But the guys, they all laughed. It was funny watching him squirm and sweat with his hands and feet tied. But I swear I didn't think it was funny! So Boss waited until the kid was really feeling the effects of the drug, and he decided to fuck him. Christ, don't kill me. I didn't want to watch. I was just there, drinking beer and playing guard dog. That's all, I fucking swear!"

Mello felt the pit of his stomach _burn_. "Rage" couldn't come close to describing his brutal, pulsing, intense hatred. He saw _red_.

"Fucking. Keep. Talking." He choked, voice tense. Hal squirmed under the pressure of those words, knowing that this was _not_ someone to fuck with.

"I…I swear, I didn't do any of it. I just had to watch. I had to! They made me watch. I'm sorry, man, I am. Don't kill me, please!" Hal cowered, exposed to Mello's raw hatred like a butterfly with its wings pinned under the examining glass. "He…Boss 'n Larry 'n Vic, they all made the kid blow them. Kid was still delirious with the drugs and aphro, so it might not've hurt him as bad as it looked…"

"Is there anything else?" Mello asked sharply, carefully unwrapping a chocolate bar because _God_ he needed it.

"I didn't see shit after that. They got bored and the second shift came in. Second shift is Rap's group. I have nothing to do with them, I swear! I have no fucking clue what they did. They're rough, and that's all I know. I swear to God, that's everything I know."

"And Zane? Where was he during all this?" Mello bit into the dark chocolate, swallowing without even tasting the rich flavor.

"Zane helped tie him up, and he had a damn good seat when Boss was fucking the kid. He got harder than hell when he kid was screaming. But that's all. He didn't do anything at first. But he stayed for all three shifts, like the fuckin' freak he is."

"Do you know anyone in the second or third shifts?" Mello growled, snapping more chocolate off.

"Rap's gang is mostly his family by blood. Jaya 'n Markus 'n Penno 'n Ritti 'n Xanax 'n them. The third shift was Bad Errik's group. You don't fuck with them. They'd beat a grandma to death for pocket change. And they're ALL fucking horny as fuck all the time. Or, they were. You killed fucking all of them, save for Zane. Zane is tight with both gangs. He's a specialized shooter, so he gets around pretty well. We don't know who his main boss is. We think he might work for himself. You know, freelance or whatever. Fuck. He's a psychopath. Hey, driver, take that dirt road. You'll hit a service road in another few miles. Take it, and turn when you see the McDonald's sign."

* * *

"Fuck you," Matt swore, spitting out a mouthful of blood. His breath reeked of stomach acid and copper, and just the smell made him want to vomit again. "Fuck you, you fucking bastard!"

"Temper, temper," the man said, flicking a lighter in front of Matt's face, "That sort of attitude will only hurt you more in the long run."

"You'll pay…for this…" he growled, hanging his head. "You'll fucking pay…"

"Ah, now what did I just say about your temper? Some boys just never learn…" Zane grabbed Matt's bound wrists, uncoiling two reluctant fingers. He flicked the lighter again, burning the skin until Matt's screams echoed throughout the room.

"Ahhh, fuck! You sick fucking pervert! I'll kill you!" Matt cried out, letting bitter tears pour down his face. His whole body spasmed at the god-awful pain.

"Watch your temper!" Zane spat, slapping the hacker across the face. "Use your manners. I know you've got them somewhere under the layers of filth and grime that make up your personality." He slapped Matt again, shaking his head slowly.

"F-fuck you…" Matt groaned, squeezing his eyes shut.

"Some boys just never learn," sighed Zane, flicking the lighter once again.


	13. Lock and Key

**Author's Note:** Hey guys! Sorry about the long wait. The end of my summer has been seriously busy. As I type right now, I've got two sleeping children behind me. It's been one thing after another, I swear. Anyways. Ad Interim is going to be a while, still. Sorry about that, but I've got a bajillion oneshots to write. xD And I reeeally want to write them! I've also been roleplaying a lot lately, which accounts for majority of my missing time. Hm. Oh, another thing I'd like to mention: I love reading your comments, but I'm not changing the story for anything. xP Hehe. I've had this whole thing plotted out, start to finish, from the very beginning. I know what I'm going to do, and I know how to tie up each loose end. It's all planned out, guys, so no worries. I think that's all I wanted to say. xP Onward!

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Death Note. Know why? Zane. He's nucking futs. He'd be Kira. xD

**Warning:** Cussing, abuuuuse, sexual stuff...same as always, people.

* * *

"Is that light too bright for you?" Zane grinned cruelly, tapping the metal of the floor lamp with one fingernail. "It _has_ been on all day, you know. I'm sure it is _quite_ hot. Don't you think?"

"Damn it," Matt swore, closing his eyes.

"Poor little bird. You love the light, don't you? You would hate to be surrounded by darkness, wouldn't you? I think you should let the light know _just_ how much you love it." Zane traced his finger across Matt's pale lips, tipping the floor lamp until it was less than a centimeter away from the hacker's face. "Kiss it."

"Fuck off," Matt growled, shifting his face away from the heat radiating from the light bulb.

"Temper, temper," Zane snorted, "If you don't appreciate the light, I can always turn it off. I don't mind the dark. It's so much easier when you can't see what you're doing…" He clicked the light off experimentally, jabbing Matt's bare hip with a needle. He clicked the light back on.

"Fuck! You _bastard_," Matt hissed, painfully aware that the needle was lodged deep into his flesh.

"Sticks and stones, little bird," Zane sighed dreamily, pressing the light bulb into the gamer's lips until Matt's eyes widened as large as saucers.

"NGH!" Matt screamed behind closed, blistering lips.

"Hurts, doesn't it? Ah, little bird…" Zane cooed, stroking Matt's hair tenderly. "It's impossibly hot, isn't it? Like every inch of skin is being burnt? And on those tender lips…my, it must be quite painful. You really should have appreciated the light on your own. I'm certain it would not have hurt quite so much." He pulled the lamp away, tipping Matt's tear-stained face upward until their eyes met.

"I hate you," Matt coughed, tentatively brushing his tongue over his seared lips.

"Hate is such a strong word, little bird," Zane sighed, shaking his head. "How can you hate somebody that you just met?"

"Trust me," Matt replied bitterly, "It isn't hard."

* * *

"T-t-this is it," Hal stuttered, pointing at the abandoned gas station. "He's prob'ly downstairs in the basement. Y-you can't hear anything that happens down there. Not from up here, 'least."

"You go first," Mello sneered, shoving the quivering man toward the door.

"B-but! But! But he'll shoot!" Hal whimpered. His eyes darted from the door to Mello's stern, unwavering gaze.

"That's why you're going first," he replied smoothly. "Get going. My hacker is down there, and I want him back. Vance," he said, addressing the sniper standing silent behind them, "I expect you to be ready. When that door opens, if you see somebody, shoot them. You've seen my hacker, correct? He's the only one we want alive. I don't care if there's one person or one hundred. They're all dead except for M. Got it?"

"Of course," Vance nodded, unlatching the safety on his gun.

"Boss, I'm going to go around back to make sure he doesn't get out. I'll do my best to cover any alternate routes," Jay added.

"Good. Max? Keep the car. I want a quick, clean getaway. To the rest of you: If you aren't in my sight when I'm ready to leave, you're getting left behind. Is that clear?"

"Clear," said Vance, pocketing an unneeded scope.

"Crystal clear," said Jay.

"We go down in three. If things go poorly, I want someone to grab my hacker and run."

Mello nudged Hal, sending the man sprawling toward the door. "Get going."

* * *

"I'll probably have to leave you soon, little bird," Zane mused, tracing his fingers down the curve of Matt's back. "But don't worry. I'll be back soon."

"Leave me alone," Matt moaned, tears pouring down his face. "Just go fuck yourself and leave me alone."

"Oh? And here I thought that you _liked_ my attention. I've done nothing but focused on you, haven't I? Sweet red bird, I pay more attention to you than your 'boss' does. Don't I?"

"W-what?" Matt gasped, jerking as Zane's fingers entered him cruelly.

"Mmm, you heard me. I've paid attention to you and you alone for all this time. It's more than he does, isn't it? He's always out, busy with business. There's no time for you, is there? He just uses you for your skills as a hacker, doesn't he?" Zane scissored the digits, relishing every squirm Matt made. "You're such a precious bird, and I'd truly love to keep you…"

"It…it isn't like that!" Matt growled, yelping as a fingernail scraped at his insides. "He doesn't use me. He loves me. We love each other!" He groaned as heat began to build from the friction of the fingernail inside him, making him writhe uncomfortably.

"Isn't it? My mistake, then. Ah, I do hate to leave you," he said, shoving the digits as far into Matt as they would go. "But I suspect that your master is waiting on you. I'll come play with you some other day. I promise."

"AH! Fuck…you…" Matt hissed, lowering his head. "The only place I want to see you is in hell," he said darkly.

"Such a temper, little bird," Zane smiled. He tugged his fingers out at once, leaving Matt with an uncomfortable hollow emptiness. "I'll be waiting."

Matt tried vainly to twist his head around, but the bindings kept him still. He heard a door click somewhere in the background.

"Damn…it…" he swore. "Mel..lo…"

* * *

"This…should be the room…" Hal whispered, glancing warily over his shoulder. Mello kept a gun to his head; Vance kept his gun aimed just in front of them.

"Go in," Mello demanded.

"B-but if he's…if…do I have to?" Hal shook with fear, reaching toward the doorknob as though it would shock him.

"Yes. You can enter that room, or I can splatter your skull against the wall. It's up to you," Mello's eyes darkened as he pressed the barrel of the gun to the base of Hal's skull.

"Oh! Uh, uh…I've…I'm…all right…" Hal wrapped his hand around the doorknob, squeezing his eyes closed. "Oh, shit. Oh shit, shit, shit."

"Shut up and do it," Vance said quietly. Mello turned and arched his eyebrows.

"Since when do you talk?" He chuckled.

"Since this idiot decided to be defiant, Boss."

"He's not defiant. He's scared shitless," Mello snorted. "Hal, why don't you just get it over with? Pray now, and maybe you won't be killed."

"Ohhh, Jesus," Hal muttered. "Fine, fine." He wrenched open the door, dropping to the floor like his ass was on fire. Mello held his position, eyes searching the dimly lit room for any sign of a crazed shooter.

"Clear," Vance mumbled, stepping inside.

Mello nodded and lowered his gun, grabbing Hal by the collar of his shirt. He dragged the quivering man to his knees, slinging him against the wall with enough force to rattle the man's teeth. Cautiously, Mello crept along the perimeter of the room.

"There's a door," Vance stated. "I hear noises from the other side. One voice; human. Young. Mid-teens to twenties. Sounds injured."

"…Do you think it's my hacker?" Mello whispered, breath catching in his chest.

"More than likely. Just because I don't hear voices doesn't mean he's alone, though. Let me go in first, Boss." Vance stepped in front of the blonde, hand poised on the doorknob.

"Go," Mello commanded, stepping back.

Vance wrenched open the door, snapping his gun into place. "Clear," he growled, stepping into the room. "Boss, I think that's him."

"M?" Mello called, pushing past the sniper. His eyes focused on the figure lying limp across a wooden table, hands bound behind his back, red hair glaring in the lamplight. His heart caught in his chest when it began to move.

"M-m-mel…Mello?"


	14. Transport

**Author's Note:** Wow. All right. I owe you guys a BIG apology. Um. I know I've kept you away from this story for long enough, so I'll do all my usual talking in Author's Note The Second, at the bottom of the page. ...forgive me for the long wait? Please? Ehehe...um...Onward!

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Death Note. If I owned Death Note, there would be NO rewrite, NO stupid oneshot, and NEAR WOULD NOT HAVE WON. I don't know how many times I'll say that, but it's probably the biggest thing I dislike about Death Note. The only one left alive should've been Matsuda. 'Cause really, he's too innocent and adorable to die. Like a puppy or somethin'.

**Warning: **Same as usual. Cussing, abuse, sexual stuff, and all the other things a church would burn me for.

* * *

"I'll give you a few, Boss. Don't want to break the Code."

"Code…" Mello whispered, speechless. "Oh. Right. Get the hell out…"

Vance nodded, slipping discretely into the room where Hal still sat against the wall, shaking and blubbering like he was under the Reaper's thumb.

Mello stood for a moment, just staring at the wounded man illuminated by the dim lamplight. Matt's hands were bound behind his back with thick rope. His neck was wrapped with a leather collar, wide leather leash tethering him securely to the table he was bent over. But it was the wounds, raw and bleeding, that stabbed him straight through the heart.

Mello saw _**red**_.

"Matt…" he breathed, rushing on trembling legs to his lover's side. He knelt on the floor, staring desperately into Matt's glazed eyes. "I…"

"Tell me you love me. Mel, please," Matt whispered, lowering his eyes. "Please."

"Of course I love you. How could I ever stop loving you? You're all that I have, Matt." Mello exhaled, unnerved by the desperate need in his gamer's voice. He pressed a shaking hand to Matt's cheek, brushing his fingertips lightly against a purple bruise. "Oh, God, what did he do to you?"

"I…" Matt's face contorted as tears began to stream down his face. "I…I don't get jealous!" he blurted out. "I love you, Mel! N-not…not h-h-him…"

"Let me get you untied, Matty," Mello said softly, already cutting through the taut leash with a concealed pocket knife.

"M-Mello…don't leave me…"

"I'm not going anywhere, Matty. I'll never leave your side again." Mello began to work at the collar, heart aching as Matt strained to pull away from his touch. "Hey, Matty. It's all right. I'm here. Shh, now."

"I'm t-trying, Mello…"

"I know. Shh, now. You're doing well. See? The collar's off. He has no control over you now. I'm going to cut your wrists free, all right?"

"O-okay…just be c-careful…"

"I wi-" Mello blinked, anger welling in his chest. "Matt. What did he do to your hand?"

"B-burned it…"

"Oh, Christ," Mello hissed, biting his lip to fight back tears as he cut the thick rope. His gaze never left the charred flesh. "There, Matt. It's gone. It's all gone. Can you stand up?"

"I can't really…feel my legs…" Matt admitted, falling limp against the table at his first attempt.

"It's fine. I've got you."

Mello helped the boy into a standing position, grimacing at the dried blood and semen clinging to Matt's legs. He held his gamer close to his heart, already shrugging off his jacket to drape around Matt's trembling shoulders. Matt's free hand groped blindly along his side, locating a silver needle jammed into the tender flesh. He pulled it free with a yelp, dropping it to the floor in shame.

"Mello, I thought…I thought you wouldn't…"

"Hush, Matty. I know. But I came, didn't I? I came as quickly as I could." Mello pressed a soft kiss to Matt's lips, surprised when Matt flinched away.

"Ah! Ow…I, uh, that is…he burned…" Matt's face contorted in pain as he brushed his uninjured hand across his pained lips. "S-sorry…"

"It's all right, Matty. It's fine. But we've got to get you out of here, all right? You can tell me all of your…injuries…later, all right? I want to get you to safety first."

Mello pulled away from Matt, zipping his jacket securely around the boy's naked form. He called for Vance.

"I want you to support M. He can't walk on his own. Don't leave my sight, understand?" Mello sighed, pulling out his gun. As Vance took his position beside the redhead, Mello stalked into the other room like a tiger on the prowl.

"Hal," he said softly, "It was a pleasure. In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit…I'll see you in Hell."

Before the quivering man could blink, Mello fired a single shot into his head. He was dead before he could scream.

"Let's go," Mello said coldly, leading the way back out the front.

Once outside, Mello lifted his gun and fired one shot into the air, signaling their exit. He saw Jay appear from behind the building as Max put the car into drive.

Mello threw his arm around Matt's shoulders, allowing Vance to slide into the front seat of the car. He lowered Matt gently into the back seat, giving the hacker plenty of room to lie down. He ordered Jay to squeeze into the front seat between the other two men; he took a seat on the floor beside Matt so that he could whisper to the hacker without anyone else listening.

Once Max had merged onto the interstate, Mello finally found his voice. He leaned down close to his hacker's ear, keeping his voice low.

"Matty…" he whispered, "I'm making them take us to a new base. We'll get you a safe room, and we'll have security. This won't happen again…"

He pulled away, looking into the redhead's weary eyes. He ran his thumb tenderly over the crown of Matt's cheek. Careful not to attract the attention of the men in the front seat, he grasped Matt's uninjured hand, squeezing gently.

"I want to comfort you right now," he whispered softly, "But I can't unless I want to break the Code. So just hang on, baby, and we'll get somewhere safe and out of earshot. I'll take care of you, Matt, I promise…I swear it…"

"You…took so long…" Matt muttered, half-dazed. "I thought…you wouldn't come back…"

Mello bit his lip, giving Matt's hand another gentle squeeze.

"I came back, Matty. I'm so sorry. Please forgive me. I…we need to wait until we're safe before we talk, all right? Go to sleep, Matty. I won't let you go. I swear it."

"Mello…" Matt sighed, closing his eyes. He winced, tongue darting out to trace the edge of his blistered lip. "O-Okay, Mello. Wake me up when we're…safe…"

Four hours and almost three hundred miles later, Max pulled into the underground storage garage of a tall building on the outskirts of Las Vegas, Nevada. Two men met them by the elevator shaft; Max and Vance were escorted to the left while Mello, Matt, and Jay were shown to the right. Once in the elevator, Jay began to speak softly about arrangements and future plans. Mello nodded numbly to each suggestion, finally cutting Jay off with a wave of the hand.

"Here we are, Boss," the guide said, stepping aside, "Third door to the left is for you. There's a linked room and a room across the hall for your two men."

"Right," Mello nodded, grasping Matt by the shoulders to lead him down the hall. "Jay, you'll be across the hall. Send for a doctor, would you? I'll help M settle down in his room."

He paused at the door to his own room, running his fingers through his hair. He sighed deeply, giving Matt's shoulder a very gentle nudge. "Fuck…I swear to God, we'd better be safe here…"

He clicked the door open, automatically checking each closet and door for people hiding. He did a quick sweep of the ceilings for cameras, making a mental note to check for bugs as soon as Matt was asleep. Satisfied that they were completely alone, Mello slammed the door behind them.

"Mello…?" Matt croaked, trembling. He was still naked, save for the coat, and he truly looked like a wretched mess. Mello felt his heart constrict painfully at the sight.

"Shh, Matt. It's all right. Here…let's open up the door between our rooms, all right? We won't tell anyone that we'll be sharing one bed." He busied himself with setting out the rooms how he wanted them, unloading blankets and weapons, and drawing a warm bath for Matt.

"Mello…" Matt whispered, grabbing the blonde's hand as he passed. Mello paused, biting his lip.

"I'm so sorry, Matt…I can't…I can't forgive myself for letting this happen to you. Again. Matt, you've gone through so much…"

"Not n-now, Mello," Matt said softly. He leaned up to press a light kiss to Mello's cheek, wincing as his lips brushed Mello's warm skin. He spoke with such desperation that Mello couldn't turn his eyes away. "Tell me you love me. Tell me that it will all get better."

"I love you," Mello assured him. "And…I'll help you get better, Matt. You were doing…so good…"

"F-first time will scare you," Matt muttered, "Sec…second time will make you n-numb. Mello, it hurts…"

"I know, baby, I know. I'll have a doctor come look at your injuries…Matt, I know you're afraid of doctors now, but I can promise you that he's here to help. You know that…that _other_ doctor, Matt? The bad one? He's dead. I watched him die. He's gone, Matt, so you don't have to be afraid of him again. All right, Matty?" Mello gave the gamer a hopeful smile.

Matt spoke so quietly that Mello had to lean closer to hear him.

"I have more things to be afraid of than doctors, Mello."

* * *

**Author's Note The Second: **Oh God. Well...first off, wasn't this an interesting chapter? It only took...four...months...to write...ahem. Sorry about the long wait, guys. To be honest, I had MOST of this chapter written in August. But I'm a senior in high school, and I've been so incredibly busy with applying to colleges, handling AP Calculus and all my other classes, and roleplaying with my two favorite roleplaying buddies that I've pretty much neglected all my fanfics. Don't expect updates for Between Angels and Thieves or Ad Interim for a long time. I really love those stories, but the fact is...I'm too damn busy. Period. I've got too much to do, and not enough time to do it. HOWEVER. I will have some oneshots coming out soon...and a few are going to be REALLY interesting. Hehe. Kinky PWP for the win, ne? We'll see what I can think up. Once again, I'd really like to apologize for the god-awful long wait. u.u I really feel guilty about it, and I know all of you are ready to kill me by now! The next update will be done before Christmas. Shoot me where I stand if I'm lying. But it will be easier to write the next scene, since it's mostly hurt and comfort. This chapter was so challenging because it's a transition chapter, and I suck at writing those. xP ALSO. My Nears have killed my muse. Yes, you heard me. I'm blaming my Nears for my lack of creativity. I've got two amazing roleplay buddies, and we always have such a great time with our roleplays...but they do NOT help my inner MxM fangirl. Though, one of them has let me talk more about my love of MxM lately...which is probably how I got this chapter out at all. That, and the fact that I'm awake at almost-four-in-the-morning. Anyways. I'm sure you're all sick and tired of hearing from me now, hm? Comment and tell me how awful I am for making you wait so long. And keep your eyes peeled for the next chapter of Game Over!


	15. Paranoia

**Author's Note: **...Oh geez. I'm going to close my eyes and pretend that nobody is ready to lynch me for the VERY long wait between chapter. All right? Promise not to kill me until I can explain myself? I uh, I love you guys? Seriously, though. I completely understand if everyone decides to slaughter me for making you wait so long. I am honestly really sorry, but I've got reasons. Not very GOOD reasons, but...please see Author's Note The Second at the bottom of the chapter if you're interested in my half-assed excuses. I'm sorry! But this is what you've all been waiting on, right? So...Onward!

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Death Note, and I do not make any profit from it. If I owned Death Note, I would be a hell of a lot confused about whether we're supposed to listen to the manga, anime, HTR:13, Rewrite, Live Action Movies, or just WHAT for canon information. Seems like the DN team can't make up thier minds. Either that, or they just love screwing up our fanfictions.

**Warning: **The usual. Lots of cussing, description of abuse, and Near. Near deserves a warning all to himself.

* * *

The bath lasted only twenty minutes before the tub was drained of pink water for the fourth time and the doctor arrived. Mello had to restrain Matt at first, but eventually the redhead lost the energy to fight as each wound was given special attention from the local underground doctor.

"Settle down," Mello gently commanded as Matt tried to wrench his burned hand away from the ointment being applied by the doctor's stern but gentle hands.

"Hurts..." Matt mumbled, squeezing his eyes shut.

"Hush, M," Mello whispered, nodding for the doctor to finish up.

Matt remained silent for the duration of the doctor's visit, only letting out a few strangled cries as antibacterial gels and layers of gauze coated the worst of his external injuries.

"How long before he recovers?" Mello inquired as the doctor packed his kit back up, leaving a few bottles of pain pills on the dresser.

"Two weeks before the worst of 'em heal," the doctor said slowly, "But he will need more time than that to heal up top. Mental scarring can't be fixed with pills."

"He'll be fine," Mello snapped, nodding his head toward the door. "A check will be sent your way. Thank you for your assistance. We will call for you again if we have any other problems."

* * *

"Mello, I'm thirsty..." Matt groaned, groggy from the multiple painkillers streaming through his blood. "The room is hot..."

"All right, Matty," Mello said gently. He quickly poured a glass of water for Matt, ignoring the thermostat controlling the already frigid temperature of the room. "Drink this. Use your good hand. That's it, baby, keep it down."

Matt drank greedily, reclining back against the plush pillows of the bed. He was naked, save for the light blanket and bandages covering his skin. Mello sat beside him, smoothing back the gamer's hair.

"Are you hurting, Matt?" He asked, eyeing the clock in order to determine how long they needed to wait between painkillers.

"No. I'm...fine, Mello..." The redhead closed his eyes, trying to flex his aching fingers. "Mello, tell me you love me. Please?"

"I love you, Matt," Mello whispered, pressing his lips briefly against Matt's temple. "You've asked me to do that quite a bit. Did something happen?"

Matt remained silent, and Mello was convinced that the exhausted hacker had fallen asleep. He was just about to lie down beside the young man when Matt's mouth opened, as though he was unsure about speaking what plagued his mind.

"Talk to me, Matty," Mello said gently.

"He...messed with my head. That's all." Matt opened his eyes weakly, searching for something deep within Mello's sapphire orbs. "But as long as you love me, I know I'll recover from this shit. Just don't leave me, Mello. P-Please don't leave me."

"I won't, Matt. Leaving you was stupid, even for just a short amount of time. I was so certain that you would be all right, though. I was...so certain." Mello bit his lip, exhaling a slow breath. "From now on, you aren't leaving my sight."

"The letter," Matt whispered, eyes closing once again as a drugged weariness settled deep within his bones. "You got it, right? The thing you went to Near for?"

Mello's eyes flew open, and he shot up from his position on the bed. Glancing around the room wildly, he dove for the jacket he had used to wrap Matt in, reaching for the inner pocket where he hid the important letter from Beyond. Relief flooded his veins when he realized that the letter was still there, undamaged.

He crossed the room slowly, sinking down onto the bed while holding the envelope with trembling hands. Slowly, he tore its edge until a few sheets of simple notebook paper emerged.

"Matt...it's really from Beyond," Mello breathed, almost unbelieving. The letter definitely once belonged to the spooky former Wammy child. The edges of the paper were still jagged from the spiral notebook from which they were ripped, and the small smudges of strawberry jam were definitely a trademark of the curious Beyond Birthday. "Should I read it to you?"

"Up to you, Mello..." Matt mumbled, eyes heavy with exhaustion. "I'll listen if you read it."

Mello cleared his throat, scanning the letter with eager eyes before reading the words out loud.

_"Dearest Little Mihael,_

_It's all trash, isn't it? Isn't it? It's all so glorious and wonderful, and everyone will burn! See what you've done, L? See your pupils, those who followed you without question? I tried, I tried to stop it. Ah, little Mihael, I tried to stop it. But some things are just too strong to stop, are they not? And L was too strong, and now L's children are too strong. We all loved L, little Mihael, but L was a mistake. We were all mistakes. How does it feel to realize you were a mistake? It feels very bad, very upsetting. I am mostly writing to you, little one, because I want to see L one more time. I want to remind him of what he's done to us all! How glorious must it be for him, to know that he's the burden that all children have to bear for all eternity? He is the figurehead of that wretched place, the title that all children strive for! How sad it must be, how tragic! Oh, but L would not mind. No, L would not mind at all. _

_It started between A and B, and it has grown. A and B were good friends, close friends, very close friends, but A was a narcissist and B was obsessed, and both wanted to be L very, very badly. A believed himself to be immortal, but he was wrong, wrong, wrong! There are no immortals, and watching his life tick down slowly, slowly was very sad but oh-so fascinating. A believed he could beat B, but B did not want to beat A. B wanted to go straight to the top – B wanted to beat L himself! And B came so close. But B burned, and L won, and I think I'm all right with that because L is still the burden and B will be remembered. And what happened to A? A lost. _

_But A and B were friends once, long ago, and we knew. Oh, we knew. And that is where you come in, little Mihael. You and Nate were the second B and A. But your hatred was so much stronger, so much more interesting! You would harm the little boy, Mihael, knowing that he was so much weaker, so much younger. And I knew – I knew, oh, I knew. The rivalry and hatred would simply grow and grow and grow until everything was chaos! Everyone would burn! I am sure that the generation beneath yours will be even worse. Am I right, Mello? Am I? Are they just as bad, or are they worse? _

_I am probably still in prison, and if I am, please come fetch me. I can help you greatly, little Mihael. I can help. But if, for some abnormal reason, I am deceased – I offer you this special piece of advice. L had secrets that only B and A knew. And Wammy's house contains those secrets, hiding in the most unusual places! I am certain that no other child has thought to look in our secret spots. You will simply have to dig up our information for yourself, dear Mello. I'll give you a hint. Our rooms were important. And the walls, dear Mihael, can talk._

_4. 2. 13. 1. 12. 9. 6. 4. 1._

_Best of luck, my little heir. You were never L's successor, Mello. You were mine._

_-Beyond Birthday"_

The boys sat in silence for a few moments, digesting the words of the former dark genius from the generation above theirs. Mello shifted uncomfortably, silently rereading the letter three more times before finally speaking again.

"Damn."

Matt's eyes opened again, watching Mello curiously. "What are we going to do, Mel?"

"I have no fucking clue."

"Oh."

Matt lifted his good hand, pressing it lightly against Mello's leg. He locked eyes with the blonde, speaking with a serious determination. "If you want to check this out, you have to promise to take me with you. I c-can't be left alone again, Mello."

"I know, Matt. I'm not sure what I'm going to do. This isn't really my problem. Why would I care if a bunch of brats wanted to kill each other? Though…" Mello's eyes grew distant, and he turned his gaze toward the window where a light rain had begun to splash the glass pane at some point. "We can't let those idiots kill one another."

"What's going on, Mello? I don't really…understand. My head's a little fuzzy, and…" Matt trailed off, closing his eyes once more.

"When I chatted with that fucking Near," Mello spat, "he told me that Wammy's is in the middle of some sort of successor war. The top students are pitted against each other, and things have gotten…violent."

"Violent, like how you used to bully Near?"

"No. Violent, as in…they're really messing each other up. Not just Rank One verses Rank Two. No, they're involving the whole house. They apparently attack the children who aren't on their side. Some shit like that. But it's…gotten bad. Roger had to hire body guards, security…"

"Shit," Matt whispered, "Home sweet home."

"Tell me about it."

Mello clicked his tongue in disgust, lying back against the pillows beside Matt. He looked over Beyond's letter once more, shaking his head in near-disbelief. "He knew…"

"What, Mel?" Matt mumbled, already fading into a troubled sleep.

"I said, he knew. Beyond knew this was going to happen. What could he have possibly done, even before L's death? How could he have known? I mean, Near and I were still competing for L's position at the time that Beyond would have written this letter. How could he have known that things would have remained troubled?"

"There was always something freaky about B," Matt yawned. "Just don't leave me…"

Mello sighed, folding the letter and stuffing it back in the envelope. He turned to Matt, pressing his lips gently against the purple bruise still glowing on Matt's cheek, before whispering softly. "Sweet dreams, Matt. I'll be here when you wake up."

* * *

Matt slept for hours, but Mello didn't sleep a wink. He had more important things on his mind. Beyond's letter, Wammy's House, Near's sudden appearance and involvement, and the fact that someone, somehow, always seemed to know what Mello was doing…

It was very troubling to the blonde. Not even a chocolate bar could sooth his raging thoughts as he stared up at the ceiling, planning out details on the white paint like a giant dry erase board.

"Where do I even start?" He mumbled miserably, barely audible. He cast a slight glance at Matt's face, reassuring himself that the gamer still slept.

_"Winchester…I haven't been there in years. I was so certain that I would never return once I left the first time. But it looks like we might be heading back sometime soon. Matt can recover there, far away from the psycho bastard that keeps…that keeps…"_

He blocked that thought before it could form, disgust filling his eyes.

"_And I thought that living in the orphanage during our childhood was hell,"_ he mused, _"But it really seems like these kids have hell on their minds constantly. These are our heirs now. We can't let them destroy each other. But how the fuck can we help? Why the fuck is it my problem? I've got problems already. I've got to keep Matt safe until I can shoot the fucker that keeps taking him away from me."_

He closed his eyes, turning toward the window with his back to the gamer. He couldn't handle staring at so much white for so long. It almost reminded him of…

"_Near, that bastard,"_ he thought with a sudden surge of anger. _"Cocky, arrogant bastard. Big-headed twit with a stick up his ass. God, I'd love to rip his fucking eyes out sometime. How the hell did he know about Matt? The fuck did he find out where I was? Shit, he's making me paranoid. Does he know where I am now? Will he know if I show up in England?"_

Restless, he stood up and began to pace silently by the window, glancing at the bed every few minutes to see that Matt was still asleep. The drugs must have been very powerful; the gamer was breathing very deeply and looked as though he could sleep through a tornado.

_"Something isn't adding up. I just can't figure out what it is. Near knew my phone number, even said that he got it from one of my men. That's very possible; the phone he called is not my private line. I don't even carry my private phone half the time, unless I'm going to a place where I don't need to be bothered. It could have been any weak link in the system. But for him to know about Matt…to know where we were…"_

Mello's eyes widened in sudden realization. His blood raced through his veins as his level of rage rose.

_"It's someone I'm close to. It's someone I trust. That's the only explanation I can think of. Which means, if I'm not careful, Near could know where I am at this very min-"_

Mello's thought was abruptly cut off by the low drone of his cell phone vibrating against the nightstand. He froze momentarily, an unexplainable sense of dread creeping through his muscles. He forced himself to cross the room, snatching up the phone and taking a deep breath.

"Yeah?"

"_Mello."_

_**Shit**_**.**

"Near?"

"_Of course, Mello. I wish to apologize."_

"The fuck for?" Mello seethed, gritting his teeth. "Don't call this number anymore."

_"I wish to apologize for keeping you so long at our meeting. I was unaware that you had allowed yourself to be tracked. If I had known that Matt was in such danger, I would have made our visit brief."_

"Well, that's fucking nice of you to say now," Mello sneered, gripping the phone tightly, "But thanks your little side trip, I lost Matt for a while. And we're starting right the fuck over, thanks to you. You little shit, when I get my hands on you, I'll fu-"

_"That is enough, Mello. I have apologized for my transgression. Now, I wish to speak with you on our current topic. What did you discover from Beyond's letter?"_

"Like hell! That fucking letter wasn't for you. Fuck off; I'm not sharing."

There was a pause on the line, followed by a soft sigh.

_"Mello, really. You're acting like a child…"_

"Fuck you, Near. This doesn't concern you. So just go back to playing with your damn toys, and leave me the hell alone."

_"As you wish, Mello. How are you enjoying Vegas, by the way? I hear the weather is nice, but the air quality is atrocious. Not as poor as Los Angeles, but..."_

Mello swore repeatedly and slammed the phone shut, cutting off the contact. All his suspicions were confirmed – someone definitely kept Near informed of his whereabouts. But who?

"Can't be Vance," he growled softly, still clutching the phone tightly in one hand, ignoring the vibrations as Near attempted to call back. "Vance doesn't talk. He's fiercely loyal. Max isn't close enough to get the information. Doc…we left Doc back in L.A., and I don't think anyone told him we were heading to Vegas. Matt is completely out of the question. There's no way he could have contacted Near without me finding out. The only other person we brought with us was…"

Mello froze, eyes raging with a shockingly vibrant blue.

* * *

**Author's Note The Second:** Well, wasn't this a nice surprise? I think I added enough plot to keep myself, and you guys, interested for a while. I've actually had this entire story planned for a while. But I've been kind of busy. Shortly before Christmas (seriously, days before Christmas), something happened that put me in a severe depression for a little while. School began to pile up, my mood absolutely would not improve, and my creativity was choked. Then, I began dating a girl in January who really felt like The One for me. Sadly, she broke up with me in early June. Actually, I can't be too sad over it. Because when I cosplayed as Near (fucking shock and horror, huh? Never would've guessed I'd cosplay as the fluffy bastard) at A-Kon 20 this year in Dallas, TX, I met a Mello that I am currently dating. I am so happy now, and it's really been for the best. I'll always care about my ex-girlfriend, but I'm...so amazingly and wonderfully happy right now that nobody else in the whole world matters except my Mello. She's honestly been the light that has led me out of a really dark place. And I can feel myself acting more like ME, finally. She gives me a reason to remember who I am, not who I was pretending to be. So that's how I got this chapter out, finally. I graduated from high school with honors, passed AP Calculus with a B (that totally counted as an A because it was an AP class), and am currently in an amazing relationship. Can life get any better?

I'm not saying when the next chapter will be updated, but it might actually be relatively soon. I've got a lot of traveling to do this summer, but with my Mello encouraging me all the time, I think I'll be able to stick to this story. Who knows? Maybe you'll hear more out of Kaze Kimizu in the future.

By the way, if you were at A-Kon 20...I was the Near with the Transformers backpack, bag of dice, white L puzzle, finger puppets, Mello action figure, fire truck, and I was with a Matt and Mello on Saturday and Sunday. I also got my white L puzzle signed by the band ALSDEAD during the autograph session. It was ultimate win.


	16. Last Train Home

**Author's Note:** Hey everyone! It's been a while since I've gotten a chapter of Game Over out. Remember that Mello that was the whole 'light out of the darkness' thing? Yeah, notsomuch. After a semester of constant mind games and severe depression, I'm back as a single lady once more. The Mello broke up with me just days after we parted so she could go back to college (ironically, after several sweet goodbyes and kisses and promises to meet up whenever we could. I'm still wondering how the hell she went from being utterly in love to cutting it all off in just a matter of days), and after more extreme depression and notsofun stuff, I'm back in action. Honestly, I just need to stop dating. Either that, or find a cute little Matty to drag around with me.

So...any of you single Matts seeking a Mello? There may or may not be chocolate and new video games involved. _Wink, Nudge, Wink._

All that aside, however, it's time for you guys to get what you've been waiting for: Chapter Sixteen of Game Over! Onward!

(And just a head's up - The next chapter is already half-planned. Expect it sooner than usual!)

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Death Note, and I don't make any profit from it. If I owned Death Note, paying for college would be NO problem at all.

**Warning:** Contains violence and swearing. Viewer discretion is advised.

* * *

"I called you here today for one reason, and one reason only," Mello said quietly, an icy chill lacing his voice. "Through a series of events, it has come to my knowledge that we have a breach of trust in our quaint little arrangement here."

He stared at the five men gathered in front of him, each backed up against the wall like prisoners in a lineup. Pacing down the row, he took his time inspecting each man, letting the brilliant sapphire orbs travel across every innocent or guilt-ridden face. He watched their body language like a hawk, taking note of every single fidget or hesitant shift.

"One of you has betrayed me."

He could feel the air around the men drop several degrees. Immediately, Vance's eyes narrowed. Max seemed unsurprised, and the two guides that led them around the day before simply seemed concerned and confused. Jay, however, remained completely still.

"One of you has betrayed us all."

He approached Vance, standing before him in an intimidating manner. He leaned close, face only inches away from the other man's. "Vance," he said softly.

"Yes Boss?" Vance replied without hesitation.

"Thank you for being my most trusted companion at this point. You have the loyalty and skill needed to survive under my command," Mello said softly, noting with great interest how silent the room became. It was as though every other person held their breath.

"Of course," Vance replied slowly. "My job is to serve the Family with the honor and dignity of a soldier. I will never let my own goals surpass the goals of the group."

Mello nodded sharply and stood back, resuming the pacing of the lineup. He paused in front of Max, opening his mouth to speak, but closing it with a smirk.

"I have nothing to worry about with you, do I?" He finally asked.

"'Course not," Max mumbled.

"And you two gentlemen," Mello addressed the guides, "only know us through your orders, correct?"

Their affirmative response filled the room for a moment, and then the silence fell once more. Nobody said a word as Mello stood back, walking to the center of the room. He stood with his back to his men, laughing softly. His head lowered, and his bangs fell to cover his eyes. He spoke so quietly that each man had to strain to listen.

"And then there was one," he said under his breath. Quicker than lightning, he whipped around with his pistol drawn, the barrel pointed directly at Jay's skull. "Explain."

"Boss, I didn't… I didn't do anything!" Jay whispered, eyes wide with fear. "I haven't betrayed you!"

"Near," Mello said with a voice of venom. Instantly, the color drained from Jay's face.

"Oh, God, have mercy…" He trembled. "He said it wasn't betraying you! He said-"

Mello gave him no chance to reply. Without blinking, Mello fired the gun, watching the spatter with mild detachment. He let the weapon fall to his side, wiping a small smear of blood away from his face. He stared down at the crumpled body with disgust, finally turning on his heel to walk out of the room.

"Clean this shit up," he ordered. "I am leaving tomorrow for an extended vacation to fix what was fucked up. I have contact to make in Europe. The hacker is damaged, but he is necessary. Nobody else will be required for this mission. Vance, you will hook up with a group here in Vegas within the week. I want you to help them infiltrate the two bases that we've been trying to capture for a while. Max, you will be in New York until further notice. Your plane has been booked for Thursday at 9 PM. As for the rest of you, a generous sum will be donated to the renovation of this room. You will follow the orders of my comrades in this area. Am I understood?"

Without waiting for an answer, he stormed out of the room, not bothering to cast a glance at the startled faces of his men or the broken body lying on the floor.

* * *

"Mello, are you sure we can travel safely now?" Matt asked, staring nervously out the window of the airplane outside the O'Hare International Airport in Chicago. A plane, train, and taxi led them halfway across the country in just a matter of hours with little more than a "Pack your shit, Matt" from Mello.

"It's safe. This trip was so abrupt; there is no way that anyone could know where we are or where we're going. I've taken several precautions this time. You're safe, Matty." Mello rested his head against the back of the seat, relieved to finally be on the airplane. He had forgotten how much he hated O'Hare.

"Why are we going alone?" The gamer wanted to know. "Where are your guys?"

"Matt, stop talking, please," Mello muttered. "Play your game."

The gamer lowered his head, flipping open the Gameboy DS with a little hesitation. He attempted to start a new save file on the new fighter game that Mello provided him, but the airline stewardess politely asked him to turn off all handheld devices until the overhead light had gone off. Mello glared angrily at the woman, but wisely said nothing lest they be removed from the plain due to the blonde's infamous temper.

"Mello," Matt sighed softly, "what's wrong? You don't seem like yourself today. Did something happen?"

"You could say that," Mello muttered. "I had to deal with some unpleasant business before we left. It's got me in a pretty sour mood."

"What happened?" Matt asked, arching his eyebrow.

"One of my men…" Mello began, but stopped himself. Matt hated to hear about the harsh mafia punishments distributed when there is a breach of trust. "Someone's contract was terminated before we left. Let's leave it at that. Jay will no longer be joining us on missions."

"Oh," Matt said, turning toward the window. They sat in silence as the stewardess demonstrated the proper way to fasten a seatbelt and what to do in an emergency. Finally, the plane began to move skyward.

"Matt, what do you dream?" Mello asked quietly.

Matt sat in silence for a long spell, eyes closed. The overhead light flicked off, and the stewardess gave a sign of approval for all handheld electronic devices. Matt remained stationary, DS powered off and loose in his palm.

"I dream of running away from him. I dream of being caught." The gamer's words were soft and pained, and his voice had an edge to it that made Mello lean closer in concern. "I dream of the day he took me away from you. I can't wake myself up most of the time."

"Does it scare you?" Mello averted his eyes, not wanting to see the subtle sadness on his partner's face.

"I don't think I understand the word 'scared' anymore, Mello," Matt answered honestly. "There's not really a word for what I am when I sleep. But when I wake up, it's over. I try not to think of it if I can avoid it."

"Understandable," Mello sighed, resting his hand on Matt's knee. "Look, I uh… I'm not good at this sentimental stuff, baby, but if you need to talk… I'll listen."

"I don't really want to think about it, but…thanks." Matt gave a half smile before turning to his DS, flicking the power on. Within moments, he was completely immersed in his video game, leaving Mello alone to his thoughts.

A million questions burned at Mello's mind, but he ignored them all as well as he could. He tried to focus on the hum of the airplane engine, or the tiny noises emitting from Matt's DS. Eventually, the lull of the plane pushed him into a deep sleep. Matt barely looked up when Mello's head came to rest against the gamer's shoulder, the golden locks framing the pale, peaceful face.

* * *

Stepping past the tired iron gates of Wammy's House in Winchester after a long and tiresome day almost felt like a relief, save for the massive attack of nerves that set Mello on guard. It had been at least five years since he had seen these gates, played in the yard, or lived under the command of Roger, the caretaker of the orphanage.

"Ready, Matty?" He asked, lifting their suitcases from the back of the taxi cab. "I'll bet the old coot will be surprised to see us."

Matt cracked a small smile, taking one of the suitcases from Mello. "Think he'll remember us?"

"He couldn't forget us if he tried," Mello laughed. The cool misty air felt so strange against Mello's cheeks after the heat of the Nevada desert. "I wonder if he'll still try to lecture us when we get in there."

"Mello, Roger will probably just be thankful that we're alive. He isn't stupid; I'm sure he knows what we've been up to. If he didn't know on his own, I'm sure Near passed on the word." Matt began to shuffle toward the front door, dragging the heavy suitcase awkwardly behind him, trying to keep the pressure off his injured hand.

Mello lowered his eyes, quickly pulling the other suitcases along easily. As Matt pounded on the front door, Mello couldn't help but draw his attention toward their old football field, where he had spent countless hours as a child. He could remember it as clearly as though it were only yesterday. The sun would shine hot enough to burn his pale cheeks, but he would play for hours, kicking the ball past all the other boys. Now, however, the field looked almost barren.

"Think anyone plays out there anymore?" He asked offhandedly.

Matt stared at him, finally muttering, "If things have gotten worse, I highly doubt it. We'll see."

The door handle rattled, and the boys heard the distinct sound of latches being unlocked. Mello could feel his pulse rise, and he almost wanted to turn around and forget the whole thing. He left Wammy's with the intention of never returning.

The door opened, and an elderly man poked his balding head out. Mello drew his face into a cocky grin, pushing past all the nerves and doubts. He spoke with the same arrogant tone he had used countless times before to this very gentleman.

"Hey, Old Man. It's been a while. Mind if we come in?"


	17. Cage Rage

**Author's Note:** Hey guys. You have no idea how lucky you are that I got this chapter mostly finished before last night happened. Let me tell ya. So, you guys remember the Mello I dated (and was engaged to) earlier? Yeah. She and the Matt she found have been screwing since January. Color me surprised. So, if anyone goes to any conventions in the Northeast, give me a PM. You might be able to get your picture taken with the Matt and Mello featured in Kaze Kimizu's fanfic Author's Notes. Wouldn't that be a hoot? Anyone who brings me pictures of you with those two gets a free commission fanfic.

Anyway. So, this chapter was pretty fun to write. For the second half, I actually recorded myself having that conversation out loud while cleaning my dorm room. And sat at my computer painstakingly transcribing it for a good two hours. My camera was on the fritz, so it took longer than I expected. Oh. And by the way. The next chapter will have some of that delicious MxM that you guys have been waiting to see. I was going to include it in this one, but...er... Very inappropriate night to do so. Yes. So, what are you waiting for? Onward!

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Death Note. If I owned Death Note, I know exactly what names I'd write in the book.

**Warning:** Same as previous chapters. Though, this one's rather tame. Mostly just swearing.

* * *

"This is where you will be staying," Roger said softly, ushering the boys into a nearly-vacant attic space. A small bed was wedged into the corner beside a desk. Three bookcases sat dust-covered along the left wall. Mello coughed at the scent of stale dust and, strangely enough, really old cookies. He set down the suitcases at the top of the stairs.

"Wow. You don't do much for housekeeping these days, do you old man?" Mello asked, smirking. "Look at this place. Kind of feels like a crypt."

"This was L's private quarters, Mello, from when he chose to revisit the orphanage to observe you children. I have not touched it since last he left." Roger tapped his old oak cane against the bed, sighing. "I will fetch some fresh sheets and blankets from the closet downstairs. I apologize that we do not have another room free. Times have been tight lately. All of our rooms are either occupied or have been converted into classrooms."

"Hey, don't worry. I remember where the linen closet is. I'll get the sheets. Matt and I don't mind sharing a bed, do we Matt?"

"I don't mind at all," Matt mumbled, still a little uneasy around Roger even as an adult. "Roger, is it true that you've had to hire security guards?"

The old man's gaze fell. His face darkened, and the creases on his forehead from years of frowning became more apparent. "It is true. They patrol the hallways during the busiest times of day, and also at night."

"Why?"

Matt's question hung in the air, the silence of the room pressing hard upon the three gathered in L's old quarters, stale with dust and age. Mello reached out, setting his hand on Roger's shoulder.

"They're out of control, aren't they?" He said softly.

"Yes. They are." Roger leaned heavily on his cane, gripping the handle as though it was his only link to a calmer life. "Your generation should have taught us that things were not well. We didn't listen. We pushed harder, trying to shape these children into something better, something smarter, something more like L. But all we did was create chaos. The house is divided. The children aren't safe among themselves. Isolation is an act deserving of punishment by the groups. No child is safe. It is…a failed experiment."

"Experiment?" Mello scoffed, eyes flashing brilliant blue. "Is that all they are to you, Roger? They're children! They're children like I once was, like Matt was. Like L was. We were all children once upon a time. But you pushed us and pushed us, until we were thinking and acting like adults before we even hit puberty! You wanted them to behave like adults, to think like adults. Well, guess what? They are."

He paused, turning toward the book shelves. His eyes scanned the titles, recognizing the ones that had once mysteriously been left on his desk as a child. Gifts from L. Tools to keep him thinking, acting, working harder. He slammed his fist against the shelf, rattling the lone window above the bed.

"And you don't like it. Why? Because adults are ugly. They steal, they lie, and they cheat. They don't have the innocence and honesty of a child. You trained these children to think with cold calculations. Are you surprised that they became a threat? You did it to us, and look where we ended up. I'm in the god damned mafia, and Near's still playing with the same god damned toys because he never developed past the age you started training him at. Where are the rest of us? Where are these kids going after they're too much for you to handle?"

"Roger, I think Mello needs a little while to collect himself. Maybe it would be wise for you to tend to the other children. We can handle things from here. Is…breakfast still at 6:30 AM?" Matt whispered, gently pushing the trembling old man toward the attic stairs.

"Six-thirty sharp…" Roger wheezed, visibly shaken from the verbal assault. His hand could barely grip the old cane, his lifeline. "If you need anything, boys, you know where my office is…"

"We know, Roger," Matt said as soothingly as he would allow himself to speak. "Now, go have a drink and relax a bit. We'll talk more later."

Roger turned and stared Matt directly in the eye. Moisture pooled at the wrinkled edges of skin framing those eyes that had stared at Matt a thousand times before with a range of emotions. "Mail, I am so very glad to see you again. When the children leave, I don't often get to see how they flourish outside of these walls…"

"Yeah… Yeah, Roger. Now, go on. Leave Mel to me. Just like always, huh?" Matt tried to fake a smile. "You know how Mello is. He'll be fine."

"Yes… Yes. Goodnight, Matt."

* * *

"Shh, Mel. It's okay." Matt tried, but Mello simply threw another book across the room. The gamer sat hunched on the bed, blocking flying books with the musty old pillow that, he swore, still smelled faintly of L.

"No, Matt, it's not fucking okay!" Mello growled. "You should know better than anyone why it's not fucking okay."

"I know Mel, I know," the gamer said, dodging a copy of Moby Dick. "But you can't change the past, buddy."

"No, but this isn't the fucking past. This is happening right now." Mello stood among the fallen books, head dipped, teeth grit. "These kids are supposed to be our heirs, Matt. You realize this, don't you? This is our new generation, and they're fucked. How can we do this? It's just going to get worse. They're afraid to walk down the hall. I mean, I understand fear. But not at the age of ten! These kids aren't supposed to be like this. They became too deadly too fast. I can't believe this has happened."

"Mel, you can't change it. They're gonna be like this no matter what." Matt paused, pulling his goggles down to shield his eyes from the intensity of Mello's glare. "I mean, someone's got to step in…but it can't be us, buddy. We've got so much more to do."

"Like what, Matt? These are our people!"

"Like maybe finding the person who tortured me."

Matt lowered his head, resting it on the pillow in his hands, inhaling the scent he so dearly wished was L's. His voice rang out cold in the room, sending an arrow of guilt straight through Mello's heart.

"Yeah…well…" Mello began, running his fingers through his hair nervously. "He can't get to you here, Matty. This place is safe and you know it."

Matt cast him a gaze that spoke a hundred words in silence. He turned his head, gazing dimly out the window into the darkness outside.

"Hey, hey," Mello said, "Don't look like that. Matt… look, I didn't… " He sighed, clearing his head long enough to speak calmly. "Matt, I'm sorry, okay? I'm sorry. It's just…I was a kid too. I remember what it's like. Matt…Matty, baby, _you_ were a kid. You remember. Do you remember being afraid all the time? Always looking over your shoulder? Always thinking someone was going to be better, someone was going to pass you up? It wasn't as bad for us! This is ten times worse. They can't leave their rooms without being afraid. How can we help? How can we stop this before it gets too far out of hand?"

"Mello, god damn it, it's already too far out of hand!" Matt growled, squeezing the pillow so tightly that his knuckles turned white. "There is no stopping it, because there is nothing to stop. This is how the world works. It's ugly. It's terrifying. It's over our heads."

"Matt…" Mello crossed over and sat on the edge of the bed, his weight pressing the springs until they creaked. He stared down at his gloved hands, unable to make eye contact with the gamer. "Look, I understand. I do, I understand. You're really upset and I understand."

"The world is an ugly place, Mello," Matt continued. "Kids are ugly people. They can be…they can be bad. But we've got so much on our plate right now."

"And this is something that we need to put as one of our priorities!" Mello clenched his fists, leaning his head back to stare at the ceiling, wondering if L spent his time staring at the same spot. "Think about it. Just think with me for a second. This is something that B wanted us to do. This is something that the real heir wanted us to do."

Matt cut in sharply, "B's not the real heir, Mello. _B's dead_."

"Yeah, B's dead," Mello sighed, closing his eyes. "But he had a hell of a lot more information than we do. And it's time to solve this. Are you with me, or aren't you?"

Matt fell silent for several moments. He swore the air in the room grew colder as each second passed. "I'm always with you, Mello. I'm always with you."

"Good," Mello sighed in poorly concealed relief, "then quit your bitching, and come here."

Matt unpeeled himself from the corner, setting the pillow to the side. He scooted toward the blonde, letting Mello wrap an arm around his shoulders.

"I scared the old man, didn't I?" Mello asked.

"Yeah. You really did," Matt said.

"Shit. I'll…talk to him tomorrow. He's not used to apologies from me, so we don't have to worry about that." Mello flashed a half-hearted grin.

"Yeah." Matt rested his head against the blonde's shoulder. "No one's used to an apology from Mello except me."

Mello grinned. "Yeah, well, what can I say? It's who I am, and it isn't changing."

"Yeah, yeah, I know." Matt inhaled the chocolate and leather scent of his partner. A sharp pain tugged in his chest, and he gripped Mello's gloved hand subconsciously. "Hey, Mello?"

"Yeah?"

"You… You want us to sleep together tonight, right? I mean, I don't have to pull out the cot or anything, do I?" His voice grew unsteady. He could barely keep the question from trembling.

Mello laughed softly at first, his face quickly growing concerned. "What gave you that idea, Matt?"

"I don't know… just… I don't know." Matt sat up, staring at Mello through tinted goggles.  
"Just afraid, I guess."

"Afraid of what?" Mello brushed a strand of hair away from Matt's face, cupping his cheek with a leather touch.

"Things I can't control. Things I can't ever control. I dream, you know. I dream of…" Matt trailed off, pulling away from Mello's gentle touch.

"What Matt? Tell me. What do you dream of?" Mello encouraged him, resting his hand on Matt's thigh. Matt tentatively reached out and placed his palm over Mello's hand.

"I dream of him. And you." His grip tightened until his knuckles nearly turned white. "I dream of him fucking you. I dream of you liking it. Of wanting more. I dream of you laughing at me. And all I can do is watch while he fucks you and you love it. And then, he turns to me…and he wants to fuck me. And I look at you for help, but you're not there. Or if you are there, you're laughing at me. You want him to fuck me, Mello. God damn it, do you want me? Do you…?"

"Matt!" Mello hissed, cutting him off mid-question. He wrapped his arms firmly around the gamer, not allowing Matt to break the grip. "It's just a dream. It's just a dream, baby. Nothing is going to happen."

"I know!" Matt groaned. "I know, but god damn it, I'm scared. Mello, I can't… You still love me, right? I have these horrible visions, and I can't make them go away. But Mel… I'm still yours, aren't I?"

"Of course you're mine, baby. You've always been mine. You're always going to be mine." Mello pulled him closer, speaking as reassuringly as possible. The redhead trembled in his arms. "You think I wouldn't kill any motherfucker that touched you? Come on, Matt, you know me better than this."

"I know, Mel. It's just that I'm so fucking afraid and I don't know why. I keep dreaming and seeing and none of it makes any sense!" Matt gripped Mello's leather vest with his fists, staring dimly at nothing. "It's like I'm stuck in a nightmare, and I don't know how to get out. It's all chaos, and it hurts. It all hurts so much. And I don't know which way is down or up or…even if I'm still Matt. Even if I'm still me. Who am I, Mello?"

"Don't talk like that. Matty, don't talk like that." The fear and pain so evident in his partner's voice sent a shiver through Mello. "You are my Matt. Okay? It's you and me, baby. It's always been you and me. You know that. It's just us; Matt and Mello. Together forever, side by side, kicking ass and taking names. You know this."

"Yeah," Matt mumbled, "But for how long, Mel?"

"Until the end of time, baby. I promise." The blonde tilted Matt's face up, pressing a soft kiss against his lips. Matt didn't respond. He just stared up at Mello's worried blue eyes with an expression more fitting to stolid Near than easygoing Matt.

"I hope you're right, Mello. I really, really hope you're right." The voice was steady, but the body still shook in Mello's arms.

"Hey," Mello cooed, trying so hard to make his partner's fears subside. "Calm down. You're just getting yourself worked up over nothing. Okay? Look, maybe this will relax you. A nice massage or something. It'll be good for you." Mello began to gently rub Matt's shoulders with skilled fingers, nudging the redhead face down on the bed.

"Mello…" Matt whined, trying to push back against the blonde, not wanting to relax just yet.

"No, I mean it, Matty. It's on me." Mello made sure that Matt lay comfortably on the bed before hunching over the gamer, squeezing and rubbing his shoulders until the tension began to melt away.

"That…does feel good, Mel," Matt sighed, closing his eyes at long last and allowing himself to ease up on the tension that had kept him so wound up in a shivering mass.

"Relax. You're safe with me. You're in my arms; not his. And I'm not leaving you for any stupid-ass motherfucker. You got it? Your fears are only in your mind. All right, Matt? There's nothing to fear." Mello extended himself over the redhead, lying parallel to Matt's body, feeling the heat of the gamer beneath him. He could feel Matt's heart beating.

"Mello," Matt whispered, "there's always something to fear."

Mello sighed. "Yeah, baby. But not in my arms. Not in my arms tonight."

"Oh, Mello..." Matt muttered, wetness beginning to pool around his eyes. A lone tear trickled down his cheek, guided toward his jaw line by the curve of the goggles on his eyes.

"Hey, no tears," Mello muttered, sitting up and beginning to massage Matt's back and shoulders again. "Look… just relax. Just relax. And I'll make everything go away."


	18. Moonlight Shadows

**Author's Note:** So, this has actually been a work in progress since April. I had it almost finished at one point, but in a moment of genius/insanity, I erased almost the entire thing to rewrite it. I like this version better. Apologies for taking so long. What's been new in the life of Kaze Kimizu? Not too much, honestly. My college hosted Gladiator Fights and Chariot Races, which I happily took part in. I attended A-Kon 21 in Dallas, TX, at the beginning of summer. I cosplayed as Mello, Near, and Random Steampunk Girl In Leather. Good times. I'd like to thank all the epic people I danced with at the Steampunk Ball. You guys can definitely rock. xP I'm at my little sister's house now, enjoying the last weeks of summer. We've been playing the Resident Evil and Silent Hill games, and I introduced her to Left 4 Dead. Good times. I also highly recommend those games to anyone who enjoys a good horror/zombie survival game. I may or may not write fanfics in those fandoms in the future. (I'll be writing at least one L4D fic, thanks to a bet that involved her tap-dancing on the dining room table in high heels and a sombrero. Not gonna lie, I have the coolest sister ever.) But enough about me. xD You guys are here for the latest installment of Game Over; Chapter 18, Moonlight Shadows. And yes, it's a sex scene~ Onward!

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Death Note. If I did own Death Note, I would probably get these chapters out a lot faster, yeah?

**Warning:** SEXXX. Other than that, same as previous chapters. If you've come this far, you already know what you're up against.

* * *

"Just relax, Matty…" Mello cautiously slipped his fingers underneath Matt's shirt, gently sliding it up for better access to his tense muscles. "It feels good, doesn't it?"

Matt tensed for a moment as the air wafted across his bare skin. He tried to force himself to relax under the blonde's touch. "It…It's been far too long since we've…" Matt trailed off, hiding his face in his striped sleeves.

"Since we've…?" Mello asked, eyebrow arched. He pushed Matt's shirt up further as the gamer flipped over onto his back. He lowered his lips to Matt's collarbone, tossing the striped shirt aside carelessly.

Matt moaned, his body instinctively shivering under Mello's touch. He began to sweat, his body both craving and fearing the desire welling up deep inside him.

"Since we've been together," Matt whispered, sliding his fingers between the strands of Mello's golden hair. He allowed the blonde to kiss and gently bite at his collarbone, arching his back as Mello kissed his way to one pink nipple.

"You are so perfect, Matty," Mello mumbled, lips brushing against the hardening nub. "Nobody and nothing will ever change that."

Matt could feel tears welling up in his eyes again. He blinked them back, swallowing the lump in his throat. "You don't think I'm broken?" he asked softly.

"Of course not," Mello reassured him. "You're my Matt. No sick fuck is going to break someone so important to me. Now, relax. Let me remind you what real love feels like."

Mello let his instincts take over, and Matt lay back against the pillows to enjoy the ride. The blonde kept each touch sensual and slow. Although he and Matt both preferred it rough and dirty, he knew that now was not the time for the usual games.

He began to swirl his tongue around Matt's pert nipple, nipping and biting a trail from one nipple to the other across the gamer's chest. He let his cool hands tickle Matt's sides, gently sliding his jeans lower and lower on the redhead's hips. Eventually, the anticipation grew to be too much; Matt reached down and unzipped his jeans, letting Mello drag them all the way down and off.

"So lovely…" Mello mused, kissing the slightly exposed hips that he loved so much. He let his fingers wriggle the silk boxers down Matt's legs until Matt was fully exposed. "Are you all right, Matty?"

"Yes…" Matt gasped, cock coming to attention under Mello's smoldering gaze. "Please, Mello… I need you. I've… missed this."

Mello simply laughed, twirling a few spirals of short, curly red hair between his fingers. He nuzzled Matt's cock, eyes shining vibrant blue at the reaction Matt gave. He parted his lips, letting his mouth dominate his partner's need.

"Oh god, Mello…" Matt moaned, gripping the bed sheets tightly in his fists. The sensations overwhelmed his senses. There was no pain, no fear, no hatred in this action. Matt felt safe in Mello's skilled hands. Not like that other man. Mello was nothing like that other man.

The blonde suckled Matt tenderly, stroking his fingertips along Matt's bare thighs. Before long, Matt was whining and moaning with noises that only urged Mello to pull more sounds from his lips. Mello only pulled away when Matt began to thrust into his mouth, close to climax.

"Sorry, Matty," he smirked, licking his lips. "You don't want to end it there, do you?"

"No, never," Matt moaned, "Mello, give me…my life again…"

Mello paused for a moment, blue eyes searching Matt's face. There were no traces of fear or pain, just unwavering devotion and need. He let out a soft laugh, kissing Matt's hips once more with a touch far too tender for a mafia hardass.

"Your wish is my command," he mumbled, sitting up to kick his clothes off. He threw them aside, stretching himself across Matt's full length, letting his member grind against his partner's. Fully naked, he embraced the gamer with strong arms, letting his hands trail across Matt's ribcage. His other hand gripped Matt's hair loosely, tilting Matt's head back until their lips joined in a tender embrace.

He could feel his own hardness pressing against Matt's skin. The heat from Matt's body radiated, warming Mello to the core. He could feel the desire, the unspoken words hidden in Matt's eyes, in his touch.

"You're mine," Mello whispered against the redhead's ear, positioning himself at Matt's entrance. His hands trailed across Matt's body, reading it with touch and sensation instead of sight. "And I'm yours."

The moonlight streamed through L's attic window onto the naked boys in bed, illuminating every fluid motion with soothing beams of light. As Mello thrust and Matt moaned, the crickets outside chirruped melodiously, and the faintest sounds of childish laughter finally settled down into a still silence that covered the entire house.

* * *

_A cool breeze wafted through the bare boards of the floor. The boy shivered, alone, as voices drifted up from below. _

"_There could be a buyer for the next batch," a woman's voice said with giddy anticipation, the Polish words dripping thickly from her tongue. "Once I confirm his bank account, we'll be rolling in cash!"_

_Footsteps padded down the hallway. The door creaked open, and a blonde-haired girl knelt beside the little boy._

"_We have to leave. We have to get out of here before they sell us. Do you know what they do to kids like us?"_

_The boy shook his head. His wide blue eyes shimmered with unshed tears._

"_Yeah, you do know," the girl said softly. "Because someone's done it to you before."_

_Her voice echoed throughout the boy's head, long after she had gone back to her room. Panic welled in his chest, and he began to scream and scream. Footsteps bounded up the stairs; an angry woman with a wooden rod shouted for silence. He could not breathe for all his screaming._

_Four, five, six, seven lashes with the stick drove him into a grim quiet, his hands pressed so hard to his mouth that his lips began to bruise. She swore at him, turning on her heel sharply to count her profits once more. He lay still in the dark, crying mutely for salvation.  
_

_

* * *

_

Mello woke up with a short gasp, cold sweat sticking to his skin. He looked up at the bare wooden beams of the attic ceiling and nearly screamed, but Matt's soft snoring finally registered in his mind.

"Just a dream…" he muttered, untangling himself from Matt's arms and legs. He slid out of bed, standing naked in the darkened room. Clouds had moved in; he could barely see the moon through the thickness of the foreboding storm.

"Christ, I'm getting too old for these nightmares."

He pulled on Matt's baggy jeans, his own tight leather still rumpled in a pile beside L's old bed. His heart still raced in his chest.

"I need to go for a walk," he sighed, casting a glance at Matt. "I'm not sleeping much tonight."

The stairs leading down from the attic creaked and groaned with old age. Mello hoped the noises would not wake Matt or anyone else at Wammy's House. He wandered down the top floor's corridor, taking note of all the closed rooms with old brass numbers and letters nailed to the doors. C1. C5. C12. All so familiar, yet so distant. These rooms were from a lifetime ago.

He paused in front of A5, memories suddenly flooding his mind. How many times had he slammed this door in some snotty kid's face? How many nights had he spent at the window beyond this door, watching the sunset while making promises to himself to become the best detective ever? He touched the doorknob, the smooth brass cool against his skin. There was another child living in this room now. Two, more than likely, if space has become a problem. He let go, making a mental note to paw around inside when all the children were at lessons.

He continued down the hallway, traveling down the stairs to the classrooms below. He peered into the various rooms, surprised at how much had changed. The science classes had migrated across the hall, and the math rooms had multiplied. The art classes were nowhere to be seen. A giant portrait of the Queen hung beside the Social Studies classroom. He couldn't suppress a grin when he realized that it had been painted by one of his former classmates; a nosy little girl named Linda who always picked at him for bullying Near.

He sauntered around for nearly an hour before deciding it was time to go back to bed. The old clock in the stairwell read 3:42 AM. He was just about to turn toward the attic staircase when a noise startled him. He turned around, immediately on guard, only to be faced with a little boy who stared at him with wide black eyes.

"Who are you?" The boy asked, tilting his head.

"A phantom from your nightmare. Goodnight." Mello growled, stalking up the first few stairs.

"That's L's room," the boy said matter-of-factly. "You aren't L."

Mello narrowed his eyes at the kid. "I'm the closest you'll ever see. Now scram."

The little boy shrugged, turning to head back to his room, his brown curls bouncing with each step. He paused just before entering a room on the A-wing, speaking with a voice as smooth as glass and twice as fragile.

"Actually," he said, "I'm the closest."


	19. Double Trouble

**Author's Note:** Hey guys. Kaze Kimizu here, finally updating Game Over. This has been a work-in-progress since around...early October. I honestly had a lot more planned for this chapter, but I'll have to introduce it in a later chapter. I figured you guys have waited long enough for this one. On October 22nd, 2010, my good friend Nicholas committed suicide. On November 11th, 2010, one of my closest buddies and our Dungeons & Dragons GM, Phil, also committed suicide. This has been one of the most difficult semesters I have been through in a long, long time. Two very close friends passing away just weeks apart... it's tough, let me tell you. Please, keep these guys and their families in your thoughts. They were both beautiful, amazing people. Nicholas ran around in a kilt for laughs, and Phil could cook like a pro. They were both beautiful people. So, I'm really sorry if this chapter is lack-luster at best, but I will promise that the next one will be better. It's just been tough times for myself and for my friends. I never want to bury my buddies again. Not like this. But, I did manage to introduce some of the new characters in this chapter, and freak Mello out quite a bit. That's always a plus, right? Onward!

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Death Note. I make no money from writing this fanfic. The only profit I get is pure entertainment, and the enjoyment of writing.**  
**

**Warning: **Same as previous chapters. If you've read this far, you know what you're up against.

* * *

Dawn rose too early for the sleep-starved blonde. Matt shook his shoulder forcefully, trying to wake him up.

"Mello? Why are you wearing my pants?"

Mello rubbed his eyes, groaning at the bright early-morning sunlight streaming through the window. "Had to take a piss last night. How long 'til breakfast?"

"About fifteen minutes. Is everything all right? You look awful." Matt ran his fingers through Mello's hair. "You should shower after we have breakfast."

"I'm fine," Mello snapped, immediately regretting it when Matt flinched. "Sorry. I didn't sleep well. Will you pass me my clothes?"

The two boys made their way down toward the dining hall, enduring several curious stares from the children who trudged sleepily toward their breakfast. Roger met them at the door, ushering them to a table in the back.

"Mello. Matt. I trust you slept well?"

"Well enough, old man," Mello mumbled. "This place got a makeover."

"Yes," Roger mused, "Funding has been…generous, since the death of our founder. Rest in peace."

"Where are the art classes?" Mello inquired, earning a look from Matt.

"Ahh," Roger smiled, pointing his cane toward the window. "One of our successful former students donated an entire art complex. The art classes have been moved to the back, just inside the woods."

"Was it Linda?" Mello asked.

"Indeed, it was. She has made quite a name for herself. I believe she owns several galleries throughout England now. She also works part-time as an interior designer for companies and hotel chains."

"That little snot…" Mello grumbled. "I never did like her."

"Mello, please," Matt sighed. "Roger, how many children live here now?"

"Currently, we have doubled the number of children in this house from when you two were growing up. We have been lucky to keep a full staff of tutors in residence. In fact, several of our teachers are former students from your class, boys. Phillip is now our best science teacher, specializing in molecular biology."

"That nerd with the rocket fetish? No kidding?" Mello rolled his eyes, grinning. "Looks like your kids turned out _fantastic_. Interior designer, science geek, and uh… enforcers of justice."

"Mello, I do not wish to speak of your criminal activities at the breakfast table." Roger sipped his breakfast tea carefully, his hands shaking almost unnoticeably. "Please feel free to observe the workings of the facility today whenever you please, but do not scare the children."

"Roger, I swear to you, I wouldn't _dream_ of it," Mello smirked, tongue dripping with sarcasm. "But in all seriousness, we'd prefer to investigate a couple of rooms in particular. Mind giving us some keys?"

"Investigate?" Roger asked, weariness echoing in his voice. "What rooms?"

"The rooms that A and B had," Matt said softly, distracting the frail old man's attention away from Mello for a moment. "Long story short, Mello got this…"

"…the letter, from B. I am relieved that it made to you safely. It was a gamble, sending it with Near. However, you had…quite literally 'slipped under the radar,' Mello. I apologize for the letter's delay."

"Not a problem, old man. Just let us have those keys and I'll forget it ever happened." Mello paused, holding out his hand expectantly.

Roger shook his head, pushing the blonde's hand out of the way, nervously looking about. "After lunch. In the meantime, please enjoy your stay. We will speak later. If you'll excuse me…"

The elderly man stood slowly, making his way over to a group of rowdy children arguing at a table nearby. Mello scratched his head, wrinkling his brow.

"What the hell was that about?"

* * *

Matt and Mello decided to return to the attic after breakfast, though Matt was awfully curious to see the new art complex. The boys took the time to look around the room that L had used while they were young children.

"Woah, check this out," Mello grinned, brushing off the dusty cover of a book. "It's a dictionary. In Japanese. And look, he wrote all over the margins and the title page. It's definitely L's handwriting. What do you think, Matt?"

"I'm not surprised. Let me see it, yeah?" Matt flipped through several pages, skimming over the foreign characters with mild interest. "Hey, check it out. There's a bookmark here."

"Where?" Mello said, snatching the dictionary back. "So there is. Wait. Matt, that's French lettering on the bookmark, isn't it?"

"It's L, Mello. Are you surprised?"

"Point. Well. What should we do with ourselves for the day?" Mello asked, setting the dictionary carefully back down on the shelf.

"I want to see the art building," Matt mumbled, shrugging his shoulders. "Past that, I don't really care. Just poke around for a while until something happens. I'm anxious to get access to B's room. I wonder why Roger wouldn't let us see it right away?"

"You remember how he always loved to make me wait for things," Mello rolled his eyes. "Fine. We'll walk around. Art complex? Sounds great. Lead the way."

* * *

The art room was once a dusty, paint-coated classroom off to the side of the science storage closet. It housed enough papers, paints, markers, and glue to keep a small house of geniuses satisfied and messy for hours.

Now, however, the art complex branched out in the woods behind Wammy's Orphanage. Four portable buildings sat just down the path from the backyard, neatly-lettered signs gleaming in the sunlight. Even Mello had to be impressed as the sound of whirring pottery wheels greeted his ears.

"They've really outdone themselves, haven't they?" He snickered, pointing toward a six-year-old girl climbing a rather tall stepping stool to attach a papier-mâché head to her statue. "Hell of a lot better than 'Here's a crayon, have at it.'"

"I'll say…" Matt laughed, wondering what Linda would think of it all. She had been an artist, he remembered fondly. A pretty good one, too.

"Who are you?" Came a small voice from behind the Drawing Studio building.  
"Yes, who are you?" Another voice echoed eerily.

The boys turned, hands instinctively reaching for weapons that they did not actually have with them. They relaxed when two Asian boys stepped out of the shadows. They were similar in age, same haircut, same dark eyes.

"We're visiting," Mello spoke up. "What's it to you? Go on; get back to arts and crafts with the other kids."

The two boys looked at one another, sharing a secret smile.

"We do not do what-"  
"-all the others do. We only do what-"  
"-we want to do."

Mello blinked, pointing first at the boy on the left, then at the boy on the right. He laughed and shook his head, running his hand through his hair. He glanced at Matt, then back at the boys.

"All right. So you finish each others' sentences. That's not strange. Are you siblings?"

"Twins, in fact, we are,"  
"And we are the best there are-"  
"-without actually _being_ the best."

The boy on the left stepped forward, bowing in a great sweeping motion.

"Call me Vier. He is Drei. Together, we own one third of the students here at Wammy's."

The boy on the right stepped forward, dropping into a similar bow.

"Or am I Vier, and he is Drei? Who knows? Who cares? We are a unit."  
"There is no one without the other,"  
"And there is no other without the one,"  
"And there are no ones or others at all!"  
"Isn't it a conundrum?"

The boys tilted their heads to the left, eyes peering impishly through thick eyelashes at the perplexed Mello and Matt.

"If you are looking to adopt,"  
"Then you are doing it wrong!"  
"There are many children to take,"  
"But none from us, maybe some-"  
"-from Ein or Zwei, but-"  
"-none from us! Our children-"  
"-are never to be taken away-"  
"-for homes with Mommies or Daddies,"  
"Or perhaps Daddies and Daddies?"

They cackled and high fived, leaving matching charcoal smears on their palms. Mello narrowed his eyes, and Matt took a step back, feeling quite uncomfortable.

"Mel, I don't need to see much more," Matt said, lightly touching Mello's arm. "Leave them. They're just kids. They just like fucking with people."

"Oh-ho! Red man likes to say naughty-"  
"-words, doesn't he? He is like Zwei,"  
"-except not nearly as attractive."  
"If you are not here to adopt,"  
"Then why have you come here?"  
"We have nothing for you,"  
"And you have nothing for us."  
"We are we and you are you-"  
"-and we and you do not compute."

"You guys are just one giant headache, aren't you?" Mello snapped. "Look, we used to live here. That's all you fucking need to know. So get your goddamned twin act back wherever you were lurking, and let us get on with our day."

The boys paused, faces slowly pulling into twin Cheshire grins.

"Oh, so, this one is much-"  
"-more like Zwei than-"  
"-we would have guessed."  
"Wouldn't Ein hate him?"  
"Wouldn't Ein love him?"  
"The story unfolds-"  
"-page by page!"

Mello stared hard at them for several long pauses, finally turning on his heel and stalking back toward the house. Matt glanced back at the boys, who were collapsing in fits of giggles, before taking off to catch up with the agitated blonde.

* * *

**Author's Note The Second:** I know that isn't the ideal place for a life lesson, but...guys, I'm speaking to you as a person here. If there is someone you care about, a best friend, a relative, a girl you sit beside on the bus...let them know how much they mean to you. Smile at them. Tell them they're beautiful. Let them know that they are loved, even just by That One Girl With The Freckles. Every person is precious. A lot of them just don't realize it. So take some time, right now, and go tell someone that you care. Tell your Mom that you love her, tell your Dad that his jokes really _are_ funny, tell That One Guy that his mustache looks great on him. Make an effort to extend a little love to someone today. Please. You never know what a difference it could make in someone's life.


	20. Of Secrets and Strawberry Jam

**Author's Note:** Hey guys! I'm back with Game Over. Thank you all for your kind words. You guys are the reason I keep writing. So, this might be the longest chapter I've given you in this story. Want to know the funny part? It was supposed to be longer. I just had to cut it off somewhere. The next chapter is already half-written. Isn't that exciting? So! This author will be attending A-Kon 22 in Dallas, TX this weekend! I will be cosplaying as Matt this year. Definitely looking forward to it. Matt is the only Wammy boy I haven't cosplayed as. I'm definitely excited to have an excuse to play Mario Kart and Pokémon HeartGold the whole weekend. If you're going to A-Kon 22, let me know! I would be super happy to meet up and chat a while. Well, I know what you're all here for… here's the latest chapter of the exciting adventures of Game Over! Onward!

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Death Note, and I make no profit from writing this story. It is purely for the enjoyment of myself and others.

**Warnings:** See previous chapters. If you've made it this far, you know what to expect.

* * *

As soon as lunch ended, Mello cornered Roger and demanded the keys to B's room. Roger handed them over reluctantly, warning the boys that nobody had been inside since the one year anniversary following A's suicide, when B went crazy and left Wammy's House in a flurry of colorful words and smashed jam jars.

"Just lock up when you are through," Roger said, dabbing at his brow with a frayed handkerchief. "And don't let any other children in the room. I can't tell you what you'll find. The only time that I've entered that room was to clean up the glass on the floor… and to ensure that it was locked up tightly. The key to A's room has not been handled for several years. Take special care with it. I'm sure you know where both rooms are located, correct?"

"Yeah, yeah," Mello said, clicking his tongue. "We'll be careful. Just don't bother us while we're looking."

He took off toward the original residence hallway, Matt close on his heels. The two keys jingled together in Mello's grasp, making the blonde's heart pound harder with anticipation. By the time the boys reached the door to B's room, Mello could hardly find his breath. His gloved hand trembled as he reached for the lock.

"Ready for this, Matt?" He asked, nervously laughing. Outside, some boys were shouting commands; probably rules for some elaborate game.

"Yeah," Matt nodded.

Mello slid the key into the lock, turned it, and listened for the tell-tale clicking sound. The door eased open without trouble. Mello held his breath, closed his eyes, and stepped inside.

* * *

"This is creepy," Matt mumbled, sweeping yet another dead cockroach out of B's dresser drawers. "What are we looking for?"

"Anything," Mello huffed. "Anything that might be useful. God, you would think B would have had more stuff than this."

Two hours of pawing through old clothes, schoolwork, and broken jam jars turned up nothing interesting, save for a few unidentifiable specimens floating in mason jars under the bed. Mello's frustration had almost reached its peak.

"We've got to be missing something," Mello growled. He leapt off of the bed, where he had been flipping through jam-stained notebooks and school files. "There must be something else here…"

He began to walk toward the closet, hoping that the fifth time's the charm. His boot caught onto something, sending him sprawling face-first onto the floor.

"God damn it! Son of a bitch! Stupid fucking piece of shit! What the fucking hell was that?" He sat up, grabbing the culprit – a book half-hidden beneath the end table entitled "The Life and Times of Betsy Beauraux" – and throwing it against the wall in a huff. "Fuck this shit, Matt. We're leaving. We'll deal with this bullshit tomorrow."

"What about A's room?" Matt asked, standing up to calm the agitated blonde.

"Later. I need some chocolate." Mello headed for the exit, Matt reluctantly trailing behind him.

"I know we're missing something," Matt sighed as Mello locked the door behind them. "I just can't think of what it could be."

* * *

At a quarter past midnight, Mello growled in frustration for the umpteenth time.

Matt slept peacefully on the bed, a string of dribble slowly making its way down his chin, while Mello sat on the floor beside the bed to read B's letter again. The dim light made it hard to make out each individual letter, but Mello had the note's contents practically memorized already.

"4. 2. 13. 1. 12. 9. 6. 4. 1. What the hell could that mean?" he wondered, turning to the piece of scratch paper he kept beside him. "Nothing works. It doesn't match up with the alphabet forwards or backwards. It doesn't add up to anything significant. They aren't dates. What could it mean?" He sighed, leaning his head back against the bed. "B, what should I do?"

"Mello?"

The blonde's head jerked up, eyes narrowing in the darkness until the faint white-haired figure of Roger Ruvie appeared on the attic stairs. He looked at Matt and put his finger to his lips.

Roger motioned for him to come downstairs for a moment. Grudgingly, Mello slid the letter back into his pocket and followed the old man, stepping lightly so that the stairs would not creak and wake up the exhausted gamer on the bed. The two walked in silence until they reached Roger's office.

Upon opening the door, a flood of memories poured into Mello. It had been painted once or twice, and the ceiling fan looked different, but the layout was similar and the furniture looked just the same as when he was a child. The worn velvet drapes covered the window. Dust lined the bookshelves and the umbrella rack in the corner. The large plant behind the desk needed to be watered.

But Mello could still hear the sound of childish laughter, of his own light voice yelling for Matt as the boys roughhoused in the hallway, played hide-and-seek in the drapes, Cowboys and Indians behind the desk. He remembered being dragged by the ear to the corner for time-out. He remembered a million and one scoldings given in this room.

He sat down across from the desk, like he had done so very many times before.

Roger sat at the big desk and let out a heavy sigh, the years of wear and tear showing on his aged and wrinkled face. Mello wasn't entirely certain that the old man could make it through another lecture. Roger cleared his throat.

"Mello." He paused, his thin lips drawn into a weary smile. "You were the one I thought I would never see again in this life."

"I never expected to come back," Mello said. "And I wouldn't have. But it seems like B had other plans for me."

"Yes..." Roger nodded, a distant look flickering in his eyes. "B and A were such smart boys. Such wonderfully brilliant children. It's...a tragedy."

"Because they're dead, or because they were driven insane?" Mello asked sharply. "You didn't even know them, did you?"

"I did, briefly," Roger defended. "Quillsh was the primary caregiver to the children here until L grew to need his services full-time. A and B were being trained under Quillsh's care while I shadowed him in order to prepare for the job. B always struck me as a strange boy."

"B was brilliant," Mello said, his voice dropping in pitch. "He knew things that even you could not see. Things that nobody could see."

"You have that look in your eye," Roger pointed out. "You're insulted."

"How did you know?" Mello snapped, glaring.

"I watched you grow up," Roger answered. "I also know that you feel defensive right now. Your right leg is crossed over your left. I remember how you once looked when you felt like the world was unfair."

"Shut up," Mello muttered. He cringed when the old man's hand fluttered near his heart. "I didn't mean that. Don't have a heart attack on me, old man."

"You always were a troublesome one," Roger chuckled softly. "I am still surprised to see you back."

"We need to get back into B's room tomorrow. I know there has to be something that I'm missing. Roger, how... how closely did B study L's habits?"

"Like a hawk," Roger nodded, tapping a pencil idly on the desk. "He copied everything L did. Sitting strangely, walking strangely, writing in the margins of everything... A always wanted to carve his own path to the name of L, but B wanted to mimic L exactly."

"Did I try to mimic L?" Mello asked, immediately covering his mouth with his hand. "I didn't mean to ask tha-"

"Only once in a blue moon," Roger smiled. "You almost seemed to be the opposite of L. Where he was quiet, you were loud and social. He stayed in his room and read. You ran around in the sunlight. L relied on brilliance and practicality, and you required nothing more than determination and strength."

Mello sat silent, staring at the bookshelf behind Roger's head. Old textbooks, dictionaries, and encyclopedias stood solemnly against the dark oak. He wondered if L had read them, touched them, maybe written them.

"You were a good kid," Roger continued. "You were always good at heart. A right nightmare to raise, but L was right in choosing you for a successor. You idolized him but would not stumble over yourself to please him. You kept your goals in your sight, and you fought for them every step of the way. Mello, may I be perfectly blunt with you for a moment?"

"Sure," Mello croaked, thoughts swirling in his mind.

"I hate children." Roger folded his hands and leaned forward on the desk. "When Quillsh asked me to take over the orphanage, I thought he had gone insane. But he and I were close friends many years prior, and he offered to pay very well."

"And here I thought you just had a big heart," Mello snickered, glancing at the framed photograph on Roger's desk of the original Wammy 20, the twenty children that were brought in after A and B's generation had moved on. Only Y and Z remained from that generation, separate but distant from the other children. They were called away to help L on some sort of case and were never heard from again. Mello could pick out his own blonde bob in the mass of small bodies. The photo was probably taken just months after B left, barely a week after Y and Z left.

"You always kept me on my feet. You and Matt. Always running underfoot, always getting into trouble, always requiring attention and discipline... But you kept me feeling young, and you kept me focused." Roger scratched his head, glancing at the clock. "Things have been different since you left. Matt stayed out of trouble once you were gone. I barely saw him. He stayed in his room and ignored everyone else. I whipped him once for smoking, and he was gone the next day. I am thankful to see both of you, alive and mostly well."

"Mostly," Mello echoed, letting a soft sigh escape his lips.

"What happened to Matt was terrible, Mello, but it was not your fault."

Mello's head jerked, his eyes growing wide. "How is it not my fault? I left him alone."

"You could not have known," Roger said gently. "Beating yourself up over it will not heal him. Take time while you are here to let yourselves rest."

"I don't need rest," Mello spat. "I need to fix what you fucked up."

"You both need to rest," Roger wheezed, his hands shaking as he reached for his walking cane. He slowly rose and made his way to the book shelf, pulling down a worn book from the top shelf. "This book has a few good suggestions for handling trauma. Perhaps if you read it, you can-"

"He'll be fine," Mello said sharply. "And so will I. Matt will recover, I will solve this case, and we will make sure these little pigshits don't kill each other."

"These children had such a bright future," Roger said. He coughed into a handkerchief, settling down into his chair once more. "We thought we had improved the system after you children left. Your generation proved that our code name system was weak."

"For these," he continued, "we needed to dissociate them further from their peers. Looking back, it was a mistake. But we could not have foretold what would happen. They all start out nameless when they arrive. When ranks settle, a number is given from one through five in various languages. German, Russian, French, Spanish, English, Chinese, and Japanese are the usual languages in order of importance. We thought that such a system would be enriching for the children, teaching them an appreciation for other languages... we were wrong. Very wrong."

"Our top five quickly became a top four. Funf, our fifth student, could not hold his own against Ein's persuasive sway. Slowly, the children began to split off into groups. Ein, Zwei, Drei, and Vier became the leaders of the house. They became parental figures for the lower ranked children. Ein's children became crueler, more efficient in stealing stray children from the others. Zwei earned the trust of nearly all the girls in the house. Drei and Vier use the power of teamwork to wrangle Ein and Zwei's rejects together, keeping tabs on the children using mind games and trickery."

"I was hoping it would all blow over... A fruitless wish, unfortunately. When Ichi was attacked and hospitalized, I hired the two night watchmen and the two daytime guards. Do you remember Kade from the Geology classes? He grew up to become a policeman. He and his most trusted coworkers are the ones who keep our children safe. I honestly did not think that the violence would grow this much. When you were a child, you would beat Near, but never so severely. A few punches is childish fighting. A methodical beating with a knotted rope until the child falls unconscious is entirely different."

Roger stopped to pour himself a glass of brandy, giving him a chance to steady his voice. "The worst part is not knowing who was involved. The children covered it up so well that they have not been caught and punished. It is despicable."

"And you let it get this bad," Mello snarled. "You let this happen."

"It simply got out of hand much too fast," Roger whispered. "I did not know what to do."

"B knew this would happen. B knew that chaos would happen. And now, it's up to Matt and me to fix it."

He stood up abruptly, stalking over to the door. Roger stopped him as his hand reached for the doorknob.

"Mello," the tired old man said with pain in his voice, "Not even Near knows how to fix this. Some things, you simply cannot solve."

"Says you," Mello mumbled, slipping out of the office before Roger could say another word. He flipped the bird at the door as it closed.


	21. Immortal Illusions

**Author's Note**: Bet you guys didn't think you'd see an update from me again, did you? Sorry about the long wait, and thanks for joining me again with the latest chapter of Game Over. If you've been with me this long, you should know that it takes me eons to update. If you're just joining in, well, you should know that it takes me eons to update. I have no excuses. I started reading Homestuck after last A-Kon, and school happened, friends happened, extracurricular activities happened. But, tonight, I found a time and place where I could write without distraction. I'm sitting in the living room of a close friend in St. Louis, it's 2 AM, and I'm on Spring Break. Life is good, and inspiration happened. I will be attending A-Kon 23 this year, but I will not be cosplaying from Death Note. I would still love to meet up with other Death Note fans, though, so drop me a PM if you're interested in a meetup. Otherwise, enjoy this chapter of Game Over. Onward!

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Death Note. I make no profit from writing fanfiction. I do this purely for my own entertainment. Trust me, if I got paid, I'd have updates much more frequently.

**Warning**: This chapter is pretty tame compared to previous chapters. You should know what you're getting into by now.

* * *

"Mello? I'm going to B's room now. Are you coming?" Matt peered down at the blonde, pulling on his shoes. Mello lay on his back on the floor beside the bed, staring intently at B's letter, barely registering Matt's voice.

"Not now, I'm busy," he grumbled, rereading for the millionth time, '_You were never L's successor, Mello. You were mine.' _written in B's distinctive scrawl. He did not even flinch at the sound of the door slamming, Matt's footsteps echoing away from the room.

He sighed.

"What can it mean, B?" he asked to nobody in particular. The empty room gave no response. "4. 2. 13. 1. 12. 9. 6. 4. 1. - B, give me a hint!" He thumped his head against the floor uselessly. A book slid off the nearby bookshelf, landing open with a thump on the ground. Mello sat up, groaning, and grabbed it before the pages could bend out of shape. He caught a glimpse of L's handwriting, the notes in the margins written in Japanese and French in two different colors of ink. The page number in the bottom corner was circled and starred.

His eyes widened.

"_How closely did B study L's habits?"_

_"Like a hawk."_

"It's just crazy enough to be true…" Mello muttered to himself, thumbing through the pages of L's book. "It's just crazy enough to be just like B."

* * *

"Matt! Grab a piece of paper off that desk and bring it here. And a pen." Mello's eyes danced with satisfaction. He was almost positive he figured out B's clue. Determinedly, he strode across the room to retrieve the volume of _The Life and Times of Betsy Beauraux_ carelessly thrown aside during their last visit. "Just as I thought."

"What is it, Mello?" Matt asked, tossing the items at the blonde.

"Here. Look at the bottom corners. If you see a circled page number, start reading from the top of that page." Mello hastily copied B's code in the margins of the paper, pen at the ready for Matt's cues.

"All right… The first one is page 13. '_She carries forth the burden…_'"

"Stop." Mello commanded, scrawling the word 'the' beside the number 4, "the fourth word is 'the'. You can continue."

"Hm," Matt flipped a few pages. "Here we go. Page nineteen. It's in the middle of a sentence. Want me to read it anyway?"

"Yes," Mello said, tapping the pen. "Just start wherever the page starts."

"'-_her secret, the one that she_…'"

"Stop. The second word is 'secret.'" He wrote it down beside the number in the margin. "Next one, Matt."

"Page 32. '_She wishes for a white rose bouquet when they are married. He hides the flowers from her…'"_

"'Hides.'" Mello said, writing the word down beside the number 13. "Next one."

"Page 54. '_Beneath the weeping angel statue in the garden…'"_

"'Beneath.' Next one, Matt. This is it. We've got it." Mello's face radiated pride and satisfaction.

"Page 71. '_His secret life, coupled with her dishonesty, drives them both towards the end.'" _Matt paused. "So it's 'the' again, right?"

"Right," Mello confirmed, writing down the word. "_The secret hides beneath the_… Keep going, Matt."

"Okay," the gamer nodded, flipping through the pages. "The next one is page 88. _'-sometimes at the mirror, to gaze upon the face of god…'"_

"Face." Mello seemed ready to jump to his feet in victory, the final code just three words away. "Hurry the hell up, Matt! _The secret hides beneath the face…_"

"Page 91. _'She holds fondly onto memories of the little boy she never truly loved.' _It's '_of_,' right Mello? Man, this story is kind of depressing. I wonder why B owns it."

"Owned it," Mello corrected. "Think about that later. Just find the next one."

"I can't seem to find one…" Matt muttered, flipping through the pages. "Oh, shit. I just skipped it. Page 102. '_She ran along the riverside, calling his name to no avail…'"_

"One more. God, Matt, can you feel it? This is B's code to us, just to us." Mello clenched his fist in anticipation, beyond eager to figure out the riddle that his predecessor left behind.

"Last one. Page 214. '-_wall between them, one that forever would divide…_'"

"Wall!" Mello shouted, grinning ear to ear. "'The secret hides beneath the face of the wall!' Matt, move your ass."

Mello leapt from his perch, shoving the bed away from the wall. He dug his fingernails into the paper, ripping excitedly.

"Mello!" Matt hollered, grabbing the blonde's arm. "Look. Stop that and just look for a minute!"

He pointed to a small discolored patch in the wallpaper. Mello sat back and watched as Matt pulled out a pocket knife and slid it into the center of the discoloration.

The paper left residue against the hard wood beneath, but the boys could faintly make out shallow grooves in the empty spot. Without thinking twice, Mello placed the piece of scrap paper against the wall and frantically motioned for a pencil. With careful precision, he made a rubbing of the grooves with graphite until the words _Purposeful Prodigy: the Story of Young Bert Ballway _emerged, followed by the single letter 'A.'

"Another book?" Matt asked, touching the title gently. "B sure had a thing for reading."

"There are many secrets hidden within the pages of a book," Mello said quietly. "L once told me that. He wrote it on a bookmark when he used to leave books on my desk."

"What do you think he meant by 'A'? Is that part of the title or-"

"No. He meant that we need to find the book in A's room. I guarantee that the Wammy library will not have the right copy in stock." Mello took a deep breath, gazing around B's room once more. Someone would have to clean it up someday. Someone would have to put the clothes back into the drawers, the books back on the shelves. Someone would have to replace the wallpaper that they ripped.

But, Mello thought to himself with a twinge of grim satisfaction, nobody would bother with the room until after Roger Ruvie kicked the bucket and someone new took over. Someone who did not memorialize A and B like Roger had. Someone who did not understand the secrets hidden within the Wammy House.

"Come on, Matty. Let's go to A's room."

* * *

"Here it is," Matt coughed, tossing a heavy dusty book at Mello. "Finally."

"A kept this room perfectly clean and used his space efficiently," Mello groaned. "How were we supposed to know that he would store books in every nook and cranny of unused space? Geez…"

He crawled out from under the bed and dusted his pants off, coughing out years of dust and dirt. The two hours of searching methodically through A's personal belongings left his back and knees sore. A had been a fairly boring person. All of his books – mostly medicine, mythology, and nonfiction - were neatly arranged in clusters, stuffed wherever they would fit. The shelves were packed full, save for one shelf at eye-level where A had kept nothing but a sizeable mirror. There was also a mirror in the closet, and a handheld one on the dresser. Even the untrained detective could tell that A had been a bit of a narcissist.

"_Purposeful Prodigy: the Story of Young Bert Ballway_," Mello read, blowing dust off the cover of the book. "Looks just as dull as I would expect. Why did B want us to find this book, of all things?"

"I don't know," Matt said, joining Mello on the floor. "Open it and see if there's something written in the margins, or if there's something circled, or if…" he trailed off as Mello flipped open the cover, revealing a neatly cut hole from front cover to back in the middle of the book.

Inside the hole, there was a letter.

"_To whomever finds this notice," _it read, "_Please be aware that you are now involved in the investigation of one, the Wammy House, home of orphaned geniuses. If you do not wish to be involved in such an investigation, you should use your common wits and replace this letter and the corresponding book where you retrieved them from. Otherwise, please read ahead."_

"_As you may suspect, I am the one called A. By the time you read this, I will most likely be L. If that is the case, you must not hesitate to contact me at once. If, for some unforeseen circumstance, I am not L or I am completely unreachable because of my duties as L – you must not hesitate to continue in the work that I, had I been L, would request of you. There is something terribly wrong with Wammy House. If you are a child from this house, I suspect that you already understand that fact. However, I do not believe you understand just how bad the conditions will become if you ignore this letter."_

"_Follow my instructions. There will be a divide in the house. There is no way that cooperation can be expected of following generations. Cooperation could not even become reality in the generation I am a member of, so there is absolutely no possible way that it can ever become a reality in the generations following. If I cannot work alongside a fellow genius, there is nobody who can. If you, the finder of this letter, can see a clear divide in the Wammy House, please follow these instructions."_

"_First, you must issue a challenge to the warring parties. The desire behind this challenge is not to instill cooperation. The challenge is meant to drive the leaders mad. Cruel, I understand, but change cannot occur without a solid breakdown of leadership roles. This challenge should be completely impossible through all methods: scientific, philosophic, theological, and theoretical. This challenge must be issued to both (or all) contenders at the same exact moment, preferably when they are within the presence of one another."_

"_B and myself have hidden several impossible challenges throughout the house, but we suspect that they will all become lost to time before the problems become severe enough to warrant them. It is up to you, dear reader, to issue a challenge that cannot be solved. That being said, I need you to do one very important thing upon issuing it:"_

"_I need you to stay at Wammy House until it ends."_

"_I understand that this sets you up in a very unhappy situation. I am sure that you have a life outside of these walls. You may have a job or a family. You may be in a position that requires your constant attention."_

"_I am asking you to forget your life away from here until the deed is done. You must guard the divided parties until they are driven mad and the division dissolves. If you do not complete this task, I am afraid that bad things may happen. Very, very bad things."_

"_I leave the power in your hands. I implore you to see this through to the end.  
Sincerely, Above Amaranth."_


End file.
